Cherry Blossoms
by Beyond The Horizon
Summary: She was a student. He was a captain. She joined his squad. He kept a close eye on her. She fell for him. He didn't know what to say. Kensei/OC. Rated M for smut and swearing.
1. Potential

**A/N: Sakura belongs to ****XxLaBellaNottexX****, not me. **

I stood in front of the academy, focusing my gaze on the sight before me. The building itself was that of a masterpiece. I was pleased that I had been invited to the academy. Cherry blossom petals filled the air, creating a mesmerizing border. It was the perfect season to showcase its elegance and nobility. I gave a small smile and started to approach the entrance. It had been a while since I had last visited this ancient place and I felt it was long overdue for a visit.

As I passed through the courtyard, my ears started to pick up the voices of the academy's students. I stood for a moment, taking in the sight before me. The students filled the courtyard, some running to their next class; others were taking a break and had decided to engage in conversation. I shook my head slightly. It was difficult to believe that all these students would soon join the ranks of the Shinigami. Although I never attended the academy myself, I felt a twinge of envy. I dismissed the feeling promptly and instead directed my attention to the Zanjutsu Training Hall.

The Training Hall was where I felt the most drawn to. Being able to effectively adopt the Zanjutsu combat style was one of the most basic skills that an aspiring Shinigami could be taught. As I neared the entrance, I realized that a fight was already ongoing. Two girls, both trying to best the other, had drawn a small crowd off to the side of the hall. One girl was a little taller than the other and had just deflected a powerful blow delivered by her opponent. The girl's black hair had been swept back into a long ponytail and was breathing heavily. The other girl demanded much more attention. She was smaller than her opponent but her fast movements and quick reflexes seemed to make up for that weakness. Her hair was only shoulder length with blonde and brown shades. The way she moved around the room, seemingly predicting her quickly tiring opponent's next move, was incredible. She gripped her zanpakutō tightly in her hand and jumped backwards. She adopted a defensive stance as her opponent charged towards her.

I was surprised to see a flicker of a smile before she swung her zanpakutō in a swift uppercut. Her opponent lost her grip and the sword flew out of her hand and landed in front of her. The crowd clapped, showing their admiration for the fight before slowly exiting the hall. The winner extended her hand out to the fallen girl and helped her to her feet. They exchanged a few words before parting in separate directions. I crossed my arms and kept my eyes fixed upon the winner as she slowly began to walk towards the exit of the hall. A student next to me noticed me staring and I met his eye. "What?"

He looked a little embarrassed probably due to the fact that I had addressed him perhaps a little too harshly. He was a little shorter than me with slightly unkempt blonde hair. I recognized him being part of the crowd during the fight. "She's good isn't she?" I looked at him, expressionless. "Her name is Sakura. She's one of our best fighters. She's really skilled with her zanpakutō. She trains nearly every chance she gets; it can't be good for her."

I shrugged. "It wasn't much of a fight. She nearly annihilated that other girl only a few minutes into the fight."

The student smiled and shook his head. "You must've come in a little late. That fight had been going on for about half an hour. The other girl, the one who lost, is another one of the star fighters here at the academy. It wasn't until the last five or so minutes when Sakura started to make some progress. She's very quick on her feet and an experienced fighter."

"I've noticed." That girl had spunk and acquired such passion for fighting that she was impossible to ignore. I started to humour myself by imagining her on the 9th division. Mashiro was the only female in the squad and she was…I struggled to find the right word but I quickly gave up. Not to mention, it was refreshing to see a pupil with such promise. "If I wished to speak with her, where would you recommend I go?"

"She usually has lunch under the big cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. You could probably catch her there."

I gave a firm nod of thanks and felt a sudden surge of anticipation as I left the hall and walked towards the tree.

I leaned against the cherry blossom tree in a standing position. My eyes remained clothes and I took in the sounds of the birds and the gentle breeze that gave the cherry blossom petals such a heavenly appearance.

"Excuse me…"

I opened my eye to see the winning girl from back at the training hall. She looked at me with an expression mixed with amusement and possible annoyance.

"I actually use this tree as a space to eat my lunch every day after my training sessions and I hope you respect my silly, but small tradition." The voice carried a tone of playfulness about it.

"Pardon me; my name is Captain Kensei Muguruma of the 9th Division." Her face gathered some colour. It was cute how she suddenly changed attitudes when she was in the presence of a superior.

"My name is Sakura." She started to gather her things. "My apologies, I can move elsewhere." She started to turn when I reached out and lightly grabbed her arm.

"Wait, the reason I'm here is not to take over your…_tree_ but I came over here to talk to you." Her jade eyes met my brown ones and an expression I couldn't identify flickered upon her face. I was really able to get a good look at her from this proximity. The way her shoulder length hair framed her face really brought out her delicate features. She had long bangs pushed them off to the sides with a few strands down the middle of her nose. Perhaps it was my mind playing tricks on me but I could swear that as soon as I touched her arm, the colour in her cheeks brightened.

"To me?" She turned back to face me and looked at me questionably. "What would a well-respected captain want with a student like me?"

"I saw you in the training hall earlier today. Your style and form was incredible. It could definitely use some work but with enough time put into it, you'll surely become one of the most respected Shinigami. The way that you used your zanpakutō was unlike any student I've seen. It was as though you were partaking in a…_dance_. It was as though you knew every step by heart and you put all your passion into overcoming your opponent. "

She gave me a warm smile and sat down on the grass. "I've had to fight most of my life so my fighting style is extremely important to me. Please sit." She motioned for me to sit and I reluctantly sat under the shade of the tree. I saw her eyes catch sight of my numeric tattoo on my chest but she quickly averted them before our gaze met. "I'm honoured that you've taken an interest in my fighting form. You are quite well known around the academy. Most students would dream for an opportunity like this." She mused and brushed her hair off to the side. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few small boxes. "Would you like to have some of my lunch? I just realized who rude I'm being." She opened her box to reveal steamed white rice.

I gave her a small smile and raised my hand. "That's very kind of you to offer although I'm going to have to decline." I said firmly.

She nodded and closed the box, returning it to her bag. She pulled out a slightly smaller rectangular box and opened it, displaying the noodles and vegetables. Although hunger wasn't an issue at the Soul Society, it seemed that the students had adapted a more 'Living World' lifestyle which featured food. Since the food couldn't satisfy the non-existent hunger of the Soul Society residents, just the taste seemed to be enough.

She took out her chopsticks and started to eat. My eyes wandered down her body and I involuntarily took note of her bust. I shook the thought away, embarrassed. A gust of wind brushed the petals from the tree and they fell slowly to the ground.

"I love this season." Sakura said, looking up at the tree. Her lips curved into a smile and turned her gaze back to me. "The petals are beautiful. Sitting under this tree is so peaceful; it gives me ample time to reflect." I'm not sure why, but whenever our eyes met, some unidentifiable feeling overcame me. Whether the feeling was positive or negative wasn't clear. Only time would tell.

For the rest of her lunch period, we started to speak more casually. I told her the tales of my squad and how it was formed. I told her of the constant annoyance that was Mashiro and her childish antics. She laughed and oddly enough, seemed amused. I wondered what she found so fascinating by Mashiro but I quickly dismissed this and continued retelling my adventures.

She leaned closer to me and I felt myself feeling a little uncomfortable. Sakura seemed so focused on my stories that it was extremely easy to speak freely with her. Unfortunately, the lunch period ended far too quickly and she started to pack up her things. I felt a sense of disappointment and I brushed back my silver hair. "Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with me." I said in a firmer voice.

She laughed and nodded. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. It's been an honour listening to your stories and I hope this isn't the last I see of you." She smiled and gave me a quick wink. Before I had a chance to react, she turned on her heel and was already heading back to the academy. I watched her cross the courtyard and enter the building. She was certainly different. My gaze fell and saw something in the grass that caught my eye. I leaned over on my knees and examined the item. It was the box that was filled with white rice. A small note was stuck on it. I inspected it with an air of curiosity.

_Captain, _

_In case you get hungry._

_-Sakura_

I couldn't contain the smile that spread across my face. Yes, she was **definitely **different.

Over the next few months, I found myself visiting the academy much more frequently than before. I had decided that I would observe Sakura's training sessions and I would eventually make a judgement on whether she would prove to be a valuable asset to my squad.

We spent her lunch periods together, gradually forming a more casual relationship. The other captains hadn't paid too much notice to my whereabouts and but Mashiro was a different situation entirely. Mashiro noticed my visits and would constantly tease me about them. I hadn't told her about the reason of my visits and she quickly came up with outlandish theories.

"What are you hiding from me, Kenai?" She would ask daily. "Are you forming a secret army with the students? You know that it's against the rules. Oh I know! I bet you're stealing the food that the students eat. Why would you want to do that? We don't experience hunger." She would pester me to no end. It took all my patience and willpower to prevent me from reaching over and strangling her. My main forms of relaxation were the days I visited Sakura. We consistently met underneath the cherry blossom tree and in a way, it became our tradition.

One particular day, I found her waiting for me under the tree. I smiled and approached her. Her green eyes lit up as I walked up to her. We exchanged greetings and I took a seat, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "Sakura, I've been observing you for a few months. I've attended most of your training sessions and I believe that I have a good idea of your fighting capabilities and I am in confident in saying you haven't improved in the past few weeks." She looked at me with a mixed expression and raised an eyebrow in question. She parted her lips to say something but I had already started to speak. "It's not because you haven't been trying to improve but rather," I paused and closed my eyes. "You have nothing left to learn from here."

She looked down at the ground and closed her eyes as well. "That is certainly quite the compliment coming from you. But what would you suggest I do about the situation?"

"I was hoping that you would consider working with my squad in the 9th division. I'll be your fighting mentor from then on, of course. I'll have more private one-on-one sessions that will maximize your potential as a Shinigami. Mashiro will do her best to try and get you accustomed to her ways and if not, I'll try and get someone more competent." I opened my eyes and was surprised to see that she had been staring at me the whole time. She turned head slightly to the side and her eyes danced with excitement. "You don't have to give me an answer right away. You should weigh your decisions out before picking the path you think suits you." I gave a slight cough and perhaps a tiny smile.

"Of course…"She seemed to muse to herself. "I'll give you my answer within a week." She said slowly. I got up from my seat and said my farewell. Now all that was left to do was wait.

A week couldn't have gone by fast enough. Whenever Mashiro got on my nerves, my thoughts seemed to come back to Sakura and her far less irritating personality. I could see myself training Sakura with ease due to her relatively compatible personality. One of the many notes that I made during my observations was how her killer instinct seemed to arise whenever she got into a serious fight. Her personality while fighting versus on the days she spoke with me casually were completely incomparable. With that instinct, I knew I could train a true warrior.

I was always on edge and I constantly wondered if she would say yes or not. The days seemed to trail on at a brutally slow pace and Mashiro was not helping in the least. While our squad completed our assignments, Mashiro had reached a new level of annoying and I had to literally distance myself from the squad every few moments.

It was almost sundown when I reached the academy. We had chosen to meet considerably later on this occasion. I was hardly at the cherry blossom tree when someone tugged my arm. I turned around and I saw Sakura looking at me with a rather sheepish expression.

"I want to let you know how much the last months meant to me. You don't understand how much I appreciated the time you put into observing me train. All the comments and tips you told me, I took them to heart and when you offered me your position last week. I was a little overwhelmed." I nodded and stared at her intently. "I thought about that offer long and hard. I examined my course work and I had decided that it was best for me to stay at the academy." I made a small noise and opened my mouth to object when she raised her hand, mirroring what I had done to her a few months before. "But then I looked beyond the course material and I thought about how much I could benefit at your hands." A flush of color rushed to her cheeks upon realization of how peculiar that sounded. "My answer is yes."

I smiled at the smaller girl and she returned the smile. She then raised an eyebrow and added playfully. "But the moment I feel that you get all lazy on me, I'm out of there." I laughed softly.

"I give you my word that I won't let you down." We turned and stared in awe. The sun had just started to set and flashes of colour danced around the sky. I glanced in her direction. She wore an expression of admiration and wonder. In a way, the sun had set at the perfect time. It was the end of one adventure and the start of another. _Sakura, the 7th seat of my division._


	2. Fragile

"Again!" Kensai demanded, a smile playing on his lips. "You can do better than that, Sakura." I was already sweating perversely and having Kensai shouting weak encouragements was not making this any easier. I gritted my teeth and continued to jab at his cupped hands that he held before me. He moved his hands quickly, trying to prevent my fists from hitting them. When I finally did hit his hands, they only ended up cushioning my blow before relocating to a new position.

"You. Aren't. Helping." I managed to say in between punches. These weekly hand-to hand combat sessions were becoming increasingly harder as time progressed. Luckily, the clearing we were training in was open and we had more than enough space to move around. I pounded at his fists with increasing force. As I delivered a forceful punch to his left hand, he stepped back. He winced and was clutching his left hand.

"Damn, you really hurt my hand." I blinked. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it from my own ears. Kensei **never** gets hurt. The feeling simply does not register with him. In fact, he actually mentioned, during my first week, that if I ever did manage to hurt him, it would be a straight up miracle. Naturally I scoffed at him. In reality, I never imagined that I'd be able to pull it off but after seeing the way he was holding his hand, I grew increasingly concerned. I hesitantly took a few steps toward him, biting my lip.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit that hard…" My green eyes then caught sight of his expression. His face did not convey pain or anger. A thin smile was present on his otherwise emotionless face. My eyes widened in realization and I huffed. "You asshole, I thought you were serious."

He laughed softly. His eyes meeting mine, his smile had evolved into a grin. "Sakura, did you really believe that you'd be able to hurt **me** through mere hand-to-hand combat? I thought you were a little more advanced than that." I narrowed my eyes and lightly pushed him.

"I hate you."

"Not yet, but you will once I'm through with you." He approached me, his body towering over my small one.

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm up for the challenge. I can take whatever you throw at me."

His expression was mixed with surprise and amusement. "I doubt that very much."

I walked over to the tree where my zanpakutō leaned against. I picked it up, admiring it for a moment before walking back over to Kensei. "Fight me."

His expression lost all signs of amusement. "Sakura, we haven't trained with weapons yet. You'd only be basing your technique off what you've learned at the academy and that's beside the fact that I'm a much more skilled fighter than you. You don't have a chance."

"You don't know that. Think of this as a diagnostic test." I unsheathed my zanpakutō and held it firmly. "Show me how it's done."

After a few moments of staring at me, waiting for me to change my mind, he sighed and unsheathed his zanpakutō. He shook his head and started murmuring to himself. "The only reason I'm even considering the idea is because you're too stubborn for your own good." He raised his sword casually and his brown eyes met mine. He spoke gently. "Sakura, I'm going to go really easy on you. Don't mak-"I cut him off as I brought my zanpakutō down in a vertical swing. He blocked the attack with ease and forced my sword back. I jumped back and held a defensive stance as he delivered attack after attack. I timed my moves carefully and narrowly avoided his uppercut. Sweat started to trail down my brow as I prudently tried to calculate his fighting pattern. After a few minutes of playing defensive to his offensive, I wasn't surprised to learn that I could detect no pattern within his style. He seemed to be combining different attack patterns that held no relevance to each other. He focused on my actions and instead of attempting to win the fight, he was merely forcing me to try and maintain a defensive stance. Although it angered me that we were no longer fighting one on one but rather training my defensive abilities, I had to admit that he was really forcing me to rely on my basic instincts. I ducked as his zanpakutō cut horizontally and I swiftly made a low jump to my right. He made a move to follow me just as I anticipated. I knew that if I was going to gain the upper hand, I would need to catch him off guard. As good a fighter as Kensei was, he was still prone to surprise. I adopted an offensive state and started making quick jabs at him. As he blocked my attacks, I could see a smile forming on his face. Whether he knew it or not, he was clearly enjoying our weapon training. I started to repeat a certain offensive pattern that one of my opponents demonstrated back in the academy. I knew that the pattern was easily predictable and I anticipated that Kensei would recognize it quickly.

"Patterns are very dangerous to use when in the offensive state." He said, his voice rang out over the clash of the two zanpakutōs. I jerked my zanpakutō vertically, creating a break in, an otherwise predictable, pattern. He was caught off guard and my zanpakutō grazed his shoulder blade. He didn't react to the pain and instead, gave me a look of approval.

"That's why I don't use them." I said with a smirk. He pushed his weight into his zanpakutō and managed to tear himself away from my protruding attacks. The way that we fought was an unearthly experience. At the academy, I was used to the opponents realizing their defeat within the beginning moments of the fight. They knew my reputation well and it didn't take long for them to back down. Fighting with Kensei filled me with such adrenaline and excitement; I couldn't imagine myself ever stopping. From a bystander's viewpoint, I imagine it would look as though we were caught up in a dance. Our feet moved according to the other, it was mesmerizing. Deciding to have a little more fun with the fight, I jumped onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree and ascended. I heard the rustle of leaves behind me and turned just in time to see Kensei leap at me. I switched branches at the last minute and watched as Kensei brought down the zanpakutō in the exact spot that I inhabited only seconds ago. He looked at me with a bemused expression and followed me as I scaled the cherry blossom tree. Reaching the top, I leapt backwards. I saw Kensei emerge from the top and I soared towards him the same moment he made a jump towards at me. Our zanpakutōs met in mid-air and for a second, it seemed as though time stopped. I could see his expression through the crossing of our two zanpakutōs. He was grinning and his eyes flared with competition. Just as quick as it seemingly slowed down, time seemed to resume its initial path. Since we met in mid-air, we both missed the branch and fell towards the ground. The tree wasn't overly tall and we both landed in a fighting stance, the fall making no difference to the fight at hand. We clashed zanpakutōs once more and as I took up the defensive stance, I rapidly started calculating my next opening. Unfortunately, I became a little too transfixed on his attacks and I didn't notice his feet pivoting.

In hindsight, I shouldn't have ever lost focus. One of the first lessons you learn in the academy is pay attention to your opponent's stance. Their body language often gives you an idea of what direction their attack will be coming from.

I had just blocked one of his attacks when his blade came seemingly out of nowhere and slashed my left arm. I could feel blood dripping out of the wound but I held back my cry of pain and continued the fight. I soon became aware of how one-sided the fight had suddenly become. Kensei was no longer reacting to my attacks and had simply given me a cold stare, his face no longer showing any enjoyment. I stopped swinging my zanpakutō and looked at him with a confused expression. "Captain?" His eyes remained focused on my arm. I looked down at it and back at him. "It's just a scratch. We can still continue…"

"No." He said simply. His face was entirely expressionless again; his eyes seemed to bore into mine. "Sakura, I…" He sheathed his zanpakutō and strode towards me. He was so intimidating when he was like this. His personality had taken a dramatic shift in mere moments. He became the daunting captain that I learned to obey without question. I sheathed my own zanpakutō. "I'm sorry…"

"It's nothing. I'm just relieved you didn't take my arm off." I joked, trying to take the edge out of the conversation. The cold look on his face made me regret that the words ever left my mouth in the first place. My eyes fell and I covered the wound with my right hand. I wished that I hadn't made that miscalculation. I wished I could take it all back.

"I should have never listened to you." He said quietly. "Why did I think that this was a good idea? What possessed me to listen to my 7th seat?" The words stung much more than the wound itself. I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. The wind picked up and the cherry blossoms fell from the nearby trees floating gracefully into the clearing. It was so quiet when compared to mere minutes ago. He stood in front of me and looked at my right hand that was doing a poor job of covering the wound. "Sakura, move your hand." I hesitated before slowly shaking my hand. He gave me an icy look and I feebly moved my hand away, exposing the cut. He gently moved my arm so the wound faced him. He furrowed his brow while he examined the injury. He tore a piece of cloth from his kosode and carefully wrapped the jagged piece of cloth around my arm. As he wrapped the cloth around my arm, my eyes caught sight of the injury across his shoulder blade that I had given him. Somewhere during the fight, he had moved his kosde to hide the blossoming injury. I was about to mention it but after thinking it over, I thought it was best to bring it up later. I let out a soft sigh of relief as he finished wrapping it and tied the ends into a small bow.

Without another word, he turned and started heading back to the main road. I walked beside him in silence. I lightly touched the bandage, still feeling the tingling of his fingers against my skin. I looked up at him, hoping to catch his eye but judging by the way he focused on the path ahead, it seemed as though he had no intention of meeting my line of sight. We walked for a few minutes before I broke the silence. "What date will we continue training hand-to-hand combat?"

"Next Tuesday." He stated, not even bothering to look at me. I hated the feeling of being helpless in this situation and I especially hated how he needed to play the goddamn stoic hero all the time.

"What about weapon training?" I asked cautiously. I secretly hoped that this situation was a one-time thing and that we'd be able to further advance my weapon capabilities.

He suddenly stopped and wheeled around to face me. "Don't you understand what happened? I could've taken your arm off back there." I opened my mouth to retort that I had only been joking but he cut me off. "As long as I am your captain, I'm prohibiting myself from using weapons whilst training with you. You are too fragile for me to handle. I can't risk that ever again." While I respected that he was clearly torn up about this, I hated that he now viewed me as something breakable and easily damaged.

"But I hurt you as well! I cut you on your shoulder blade!" I exclaimed, directing a pointing finger at his shoulder. "Why is it okay for me to hurt you but not vice versa?" I faced him dead on. I knew how dangerous this was, challenging my captain, but I had to make some sort of defence.

"Because it's you we're talking about!" He raised his voice dangerously; he gave me a piercing glance. "I'm trained to take minor injuries such as this." He motioned towards his shoulder. "I should be subjected to numerous punishments for even risking your life." He scowled. "Sakura, take note of my following statement: We will **never **fight with weapons again."

"I can't believe him. I just can't believe him." I was lying down in the 9th Division headquarters, specifically in my sleeping quarters. Mashiro was sitting beside my bed, looking at me intently. Mashiro, although childish, was definitely the sort of company I needed right now. She usually found a way to cheer me up in these situations. Kensei was at a captain's meeting and right now, I needed to get all my feelings into the open. I shifted in my bed and turned on my side to face the vice-captain.

"Well, he did hurt you. I'm sure he feels pretty bad about it but he definitely overreacted. He can be such an emotionless moron." She ruffled the back of her wavy lime green hair and adjusted her goggles. "I can't believe you actually gave him a scratch. I've never done that…" She trailed off and sighed.

"You don't want to. He's really intimidating. He was so cold towards me after he injured me but when I mentioned that I had injured him, he started to get really agitated." I recalled. Mashiro nodded as if she'd heard this story a thousand times before. I moved my arms above my head and shifted my gaze to the ceiling.

"Kensei's such a hot head but he'll cool off eventually. He always does." Mashiro said as a matter-of-factly. I turned my head towards her, our eyes meeting. "I wouldn't worry about him, Sakura. Kensei will always be Kensei. You just have to ignore him and move on. He shouldn't stop you from having a great time." She smiled at me.

I couldn't help but laugh at Mashiro's view of Kensei. You'd think that a vice-captain would respect her superior but it could not be more opposite when examining the case of Mashiro and Kensei's relationship. They had a funny way of interacting with each other. I had experienced first-hand a number of their fights and while it was funny to watch, it was also unusual. "Thanks Mashiro." I said, a smile now forming on my face. "I really needed to hear that."

"Don't mention it." She said, giving me a playful wink. "What do you say we have some rice cakes with some ground sesame on top? I'm hungry." She moaned and stuck her bottom lip out. "Please? I don't want to eat alone."

I giggled at her expression and gave a light sigh. "Sure. Let's go."

She squealed with delight and grabbed my right hand. "Come on. I'm starving."

_I leaned against the stone wall of the hot springs. Night had already fallen and the only sound was the wind giving a gentle breeze. I loved coming to the hot springs. All my problems from the Soul Society and the Living World seemed to float away in the springs' mystic waters. I dipped my head in the water, wetting my hair. The hot temperature against my naked body was tremendous. I wanted to stay within these waters forever. I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. As relaxing as this was, all good things must come to an end. I stood up and climbed up on the edge. I grasped my warm robe that was hanging limply from a low tree branch and tied it securely around my waist. I was about to leave when I caught my reflection in the water. I peered into the springs, observing my reflection. "Sakura…"_

_I jumped and turned around. My heart was beating rapidly from the surprise but once I saw that it was only my captain, I relaxed a little bit. Kensei looked at me with a serious expression just as he looked at me earlier today. I suspected that he was still angry with me. My eyes drew to his bathing attire. He wore a black bathrobe that revealed a large portion of his incredibly muscled chest, displaying his infamous '69' tattoo. I found my eyes travelling down his robe before I forced myself to avert my gaze. "C-Captain! I-I'm sorry. I know I should be on d-duty but I couldn't help m-myself." I stammered. I could already feel my face going beat red. Kensei shook his head slowly and repeatedly said my name softly as he came closer to me. I leaned against the edge of the hot springs for support as his body closed in on mine. His expression wasn't serious; it was tender. My face flushed as he brought his left hand towards my face and stroked my left cheek. _

_He leaned his head forward so that his mouth hovered beside my ear. My whole body shook, not from fear but from lust. "I can't help myself either." He whispered. Those five words were music to my ears. He gently pulled my head back and directed my face so that it faced his. His brown eyes locked with my jade ones. He seemed to hesitate a moment before moving inwards. He stopped short of my lips, causing an involuntary whimper to escape. He chuckled at my reaction. "You're quite impatient, aren't you?" He smiled at me, teasing me. "It's my duty as captain to fulfill the needs of every squad member." He said huskily and pressed his lips against mine in a heated kiss. His hands wrapped around my back, feeling down my spine. He took advantage of my surprised gasp and slipped his tongue past my lips. My arms wrapped around his head and my fingers intertwined into his silver hair. Our tongues wrestled with each other for a few moments before he took control once more. _

_He moved his mouth to my neck and started to suck on it. I threw my head back in ecstasy and moaned. My eyes snapped shut as he let his tongue drag from my neck down to my collarbone. The heat of the hot springs accompanied by the increasing heat between our bodies was almost too much to bear. As he placed kisses just above my chest, I felt his left arm grab my leg and move it upwards so that it rested against the side of his thigh. Getting the message, I propped myself onto the stone ledge and wrapped my arms around his waist. His hand travelled up the robe on my left thigh, sending chills down my back. I bit my lip in anticipation. I wanted him to stop teasing me. I needed him to continue. My face grew hot as he slowly placed his kisses further and further down my upper body. He stopped right when his head was in between the top of my breasts. I could hardly stand it any longer. "Kensei, please…" I begged him to remove the flimsy cloth that stood between him and my body. He only smirked and moved his right hand towards the edge of my robe that covered my bust, gradually pulling it aside. My eyes remained shut. I couldn't wait any longer. "Kensei…"_

I opened my eyes and it was entirely dark. As my eyes adjusted I soon realized that I was in my bed. "Goddamnit." I cursed as I slammed my head back into my pillow. It was too good to be true. I turned on my side and cursed those rice cakes for giving me such tempting dreams. I should have never gone with Mashiro in the first place. My disappointment was greater than I would have liked to admit. I had feelings for Kensei. Knowing that our relationship could only be one-sided, was killing me. My feelings towards him arose almost immediately during the day we met. I felt such chemistry between us and the attraction was undeniable. I sighed and brought a hand to my forehead. He was a captain and that's all we'll ever be: a captain and his 7th seat. _Stop kidding yourself, Sakura…_With a final glance at the barracks, I closed my eyes and left the real world behind.


	3. Hesitation

"Mashiro!" I said sharply. I glared at my vice captain, fighting my urge to strangle her. She looked down at her rice cake remains that were scattered upon my lap. I brought a hand to my face and squeezed my eyes shut. _Calm down, it's fine. It was an accident._ I casually brushed the crumbs off my black hakama. We had decided to take a break during one of our weekly perimeter patrols and sat cross-legged in a circle within the clearing. Coincidently, this was the very clearing that I used to train with Sakura. I think she appreciated the fact that although we no longer trained here, we made regular visits to this area. From the look of her face, I would guess that it brought a sense of nostalgia. When we first entered the clearing, I noted how Sakura's eyes seem to light up dramatically. It reminded me of the time we met. For some reason, I felt myself secretly hoping that she'd appreciate my gesture. When I saw the look on her face, I knew I had done the right thing.

I had picked the clearing as a destination because I believed that my division would be in need of some rest and relaxation before finishing our patrol. Unfortunately, the only one who seemed to be gaining nothing from this break was me.

"Why do you have to be so sensitive, Kensei? It was an accident. You get worked up over nothing. Some captain you are." Mashiro babbled on. I clenched my teeth. _Count to three. One….two…._"You should man up. It's not very reassuring to see you getting angry at the smallest things. You are such a baby." _That's it._ I lurched forward but an arm reached out and gripped my shoulder, pulling me back. I looked over to see Sakura looking at me with a single raised eyebrow. I narrowed my eyes at my green haired vice captain before reclining back to my cross-legged position. "Oh, now you're narrowing your eyes at me. Is that supposed to be intimidating? Why are you so mean to your vice captain? Why don't you take a walk and cool off? I'm sure the rest of the division would like a break from seeing your face." Her words were said in a manner that reflected a child angry at his parents. Her voice was whining and grating. I found myself asking what I had done to deserve such an immature vice captain on my division. I couldn't understand it, it was as though they ran out of all the competent vice captains and gave me whatever they had left.

"My division couldn't handle five minutes with you monitoring them." I said, my voice laced with venom. "If you were in charge, I have no doubt that I would be forced to resign my position for putting a child in charge."

"At least I would give them regular food breaks and not go on pointless tasks all the time." She spouted. My team turned their heads to face me, awaiting a reply to her comment.

"My 'pointless tasks' are assigned to me directly and they often have to do with the safety of the Soul Society." I said through gritted teeth. "Perhaps the reason that you are a lieutenant and I am a captain is solely due to the fact that you are unable to realize that fact."

Mashiro crossed her arms and continued to speak in that irritating voice of hers. "Why are you such a meanie towards me, Kensei? At first I thought it was because I was a girl but you don't bother Sakura at all." She pointed at Sakura who now wore an expression of shock at the realization that she'd become part of the conversation. "Why do you pick on me?" Mashiro dragged the last word out. I hated her so much right now.

"For one, Sakura doesn't act like an infant when I address her." I said. "Secondly, she actually has developed leadership abilities and has my respect as captain." Mashiro rolled her eyes and plugged her ears with her fingers. "Thirdly, her personality isn't nearly as annoying as yours!" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sakura blushing a deep shade of red. I wasn't sure why she was so embarrassed. I was paying her a compliment after all. She should be proud.

"Sorry Kensei. I can't hear you." Mashiro singsonged while swaying back and forth, ears still plugged. I made another lunge forward, arms outstretched. This time, it took both Sakura and Kasaki's strength to hold me back. They exchanged a glance and with some effort, forced me back.

"She's like this all the time. You mustn't let it get to you." Kasaki said. The other four seats nodded in agreement. I looked back down at Mashiro who was now rolling on the ground making unidentifiable noises. _They were right, of course._ I looked to my right at Sakura who was looking at me with a worried expression although her face was still red from my comment. "Maybe it's best if you do go for a walk." I opened my mouth to object but he held a hand up. "I'll watch over Mashiro. I think we can manage for a few minutes without you." He gave me a friendly smile and motioned behind me.

After quick consideration I concluded that it would be best if I took a walk. If I had a few moments to myself, perhaps I'd be able to refrain from murdering Mashiro on the spot when the time came to finish our patrol. I had enormous amounts of faith in my division, much more than I had in my vice captain. "I won't be more than a few metres away from the clearing. If anything happens, I'll know." I said firmly. I stood up to go and Sakura mimicked me.

There was a small silence as we turned to face Sakura, unsure of what she was doing. She appeared to be stunned for a second but recovered quickly. "I'm going to go for a walk too. I need to stretch my legs." She said awkwardly. The group seemed to accept that as a legitimate excuse and went back to their individual activities and I started to walk away from the clearing. Sakura started to walk in my direction before seemingly switching paths.

"You're not coming with me?" I asked. I looked at her questionably. Her green eyes looked up.

"I'm sorry. I thought that when you said you wanted to go for a walk, you implied that you didn't want any company."

I raised my eyebrow. "I didn't mean that at all." _Strange girl…_

"Oh…" She said quietly. There was a pause between us before she finally continued. "So, would you want some company?"

I chuckled softly. "Sure. I don't mind." Her eyes lit up the same way they did when we entered the clearing. She sped up to join me at my brisk pace. She moved her bangs out of her eyes and gazed in admiration at the cherry blossom trees. It was nearing the end of the season and it was only a matter of time before this wondrous time passed for another year.

"They're beautiful." She said those words so quietly that if I hadn't been looking at her, I wouldn't have noticed that she said anything at all. "It's a shame this magical time happens once a year. It's my favourite season, you know."

"Why's that?" I asked, a curious tone lingering in my words.

"I can't quite place my finger on it but it's just the way it makes me feel. It makes you feel as though you know that everything's going to be alright. Sorry," she shook her head and closed her eyes. "I can't imagine that made any sense."

While I agreed that the meaning of her words was unclear, I could understand how she felt. "I figured that you would like the season for the pink tone within the blossoms."

"Why? Because I'm a girl?" She asked with mock anger. She stopped walking and crossed her arms. "That is quite shallow of you to say, captain." I stopped as well and turned to face her, crossing my arms as well.

"Give me a real reason then." I challenged. She rolled her eyes at me and leaned against a nearby tree. "Just as I thought, you can't think of a good reason." I grinned at my victory.

"I thought my previous reason was satisfactory." She stated.

"Or maybe you've finally accepted the fact that I'm correct." I moved closer to her, arms still crossed. My eyes focused on her slightly flustered face. "You joined my division this season. I'm surprised you didn't mention that as your reason."

She shrugged and looked back up at the sky. "I suppose that's true." I couldn't describe to you how she looked at that given moment with any justice. With the cherry blossoms falling around her, it became the perfect frame for the scene before me. Her hair swayed gently in the breeze and she took deep breaths, truly emerging herself in her surroundings. The way she was positioned against the tree seemed to represent a work of art. It was strange. Since Sakura joined my division, I realized what an asset she really was, both in fighting style and personality. While Mashiro constantly tried my nerves and annoyed the hell out of me, Sakura was my grounding point. Until she joined, I had thought that all women were as annoying as Mashiro. Sakura brought a feminine air to the group but also displayed leadership and a fighting style that couldn't be overlooked. She wasn't afraid of a fight or getting her hands dirty. She quickly gained my respect and admiration. There were times when I was alone with her that I felt the need to thank her for everything she's done for me. While she constantly told me how fortunate she was to be in my division, I never told her how fortunate it was for me to have found her. In the past weeks, I found it difficult to remember my division without her. She seemed to fit in perfectly with my group and had no trouble befriending everyone. One or two times I caught sight of her and Hiyori laughing about something Shinji did. She seemed to be compatible with everyone she met. It wasn't uncommon for me to hear compliments about her fighting style and immersion into my division. She kept me motivated each day and I knew that I would be totally lost without her. I must've been looking at her too intently because she caught me staring. "What?" she asked, giving me a look. Embarrassed, I shook myself out of my trance and quickly pretended to be interested in something else. Needless to say, I ultimately failed. She released the breath she was holding in and turned her attention away from me. _Damn it. I've officially made it clear to her what a creeper I am. Smooth, Kensei. _"Kensei?" At the mention of my name, I feebly looked back to her. "Did you really mean all those things you said earlier?" I furrowed my brow in confusion. She sighed. "Remember? When you were speaking to Mashiro?" A flood of memories returned and I nodded.

"Of course I meant them. Why would I say something I didn't mean?"

"Kensei, I want you to understand that I am the one who is being given the privilege of serving under your leadership. You can't expect me to accept those compliments easily." She blushed and bit her lip. "The best day of my life was when I met you. Naturally, I don't expect you to feel the same way. I just wanted you to know how I feel." I was touched by her words. I could tell by her tone of voice that they came straight from her heart. I could only imagine how difficult it must've been to say those words to her captain, her superior. I moved in closer to her, my body only a few inches away from hers.

"Sakura…" I said softly. I was unsure of what to say. The look on her face told me that she instantly regretted telling me how she felt.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-" I cut her off as my lips touched hers. I knew how risky I was being by kissing her. I was scared that she would pull away or flat-out reject my advance. Her lips felt soft against mine. My arms slowly wrapped around her waist and pulled her against me. Our kiss was far from heated; it instead was soft and cautious. Neither of us knew what to expect from the other. We were both scared of a negative reaction from the other. We broke apart at the same time, looking into each other's eyes. To my relief, she leaned in again and captured my lips once more. Her arms wrapped around my neck and immersed her fingers in my silver hair. I started to kiss with a little more force and she instantly responded. It was the perfect setting for our first kiss. We met at the beginning of the season and we ended the season with a kiss. _Absolutely breathtaking._ After a few heavenly moments, we pulled away. She was blushing again, but a wide smile was on her face. I took a moment to come back to reality and quickly fixed myself up. "We should probably get back to the division." She said, holding back a giggle. "They'll be wondering where we are." I nodded silently, trying to resume my role as captain. Although I walked back with a stoic air about me, I could feel her eyes on me. Right before we re-entered the clearing, I turned my head and gave her a hint of a smile before approaching my division.

"There you are! I thought that you got lost. I wouldn't be surprised that a dummy like you would wind up lost in the woods. I think it would be an improvement." Mashiro started ranting. _Same old, same old._ With a quick glance to Sakura, I motioned for my team to rise.

"I hope everyone had a nice break because we'll be patrolling for three more hours."

~.~.~

After three hours of patrolling and a whining Mashiro, we reached the 9th division headquarters. Night began to fall and my division split up and went back to the designated barracks. I returned to my living quarters and sat on the side of my bed. I brought my head down and wrapped my hands around my neck. I still couldn't come to a decision on whether I should pursue a relationship with Sakura. I wasn't even sure what came over me during our walk but whatever it was, she seemed to go along with it. The attraction was always there but I sometimes still viewed her as that student I saw at the academy and whether I liked it or not, I still held authority over her as captain. If I did try and form a relationship, it would have to be secret, at least at the beginning. We'd both have to do a decent job acting to prevent any suspicion. I brought one of my hands down and leaned my head upon the open palm. Maybe she doesn't want a relationship? Maybe that kiss was supposed to be a one-time event? Perhaps she'd never want to mention it ever again. I knew I was overanalyzing the situation but it certainly didn't hurt to be careful. We'd also have to be sure that Mashiro wouldn't get wind of our relationship. She'd no doubt tell everyone who was willing to listen and I couldn't let Sakura face that kind of embarrassment. I stood up and strode across the room to the window. Crossing my arms, I scanned the area. My eyes caught sight to two Shinigami talking to each other a few metres away. I watched them for a few moments before losing interest. After some consideration, I figured that I would do a quick patrol of the hallways before calling it a day. I exited my room and slowly made my way down the seemingly endless hallway. I stole a few glances within some of the open rooms and recognized a few faces here and there. I rounded the corner and collided with someone. Recovering quickly, I knelt down to help the Shinigami up when I realized it was Sakura. _Out of all the Shinigami here, I had to knock down her._ It wasn't that I didn't want to see her but I was still unsure of the whole situation and I hated to address her so prematurely. She looked up at me and gently pushed my hand away.

"It's okay. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself." She grinned at me and stood up, brushing herself off. "You came around that corner quite suddenly, captain. Is something troubling you, this evening?" She said the words coolly and yet, I felt as though she were teasing me. We both knew what had happened today and it appeared that neither of us would address it directly.

"Nothing. I'm just doing a quick patrol before I call it a night." I said as a matter-of-factly. "What are you doing in the hallways this late at night?"

"Same as you." She said, still smiling. "Just monitoring the hallways for any suspicious activity." I knew that she was just toying with me and I decided to challenge her.

"Oh really? Have you any incidents to report?"

Laughing softly, she shook her head. "If I find something, you'll be the first to know." She made a motion towards a room three doors down. "I have yet to check that room. Would you like to accompany me?"

I turned my head in that direction and looked back at her with a smirk. "No one is ever in that room. The lights are always off and no one has used it in well over two years."

"It can't hurt to check." She said innocently. "I can check it by myself if you're too scared."

"Why does it appear to me that you have ulterior motives?" I asked her.

"What would make you think that?" She moved towards the door and opened it. As predicted, it was pitch black inside with no one residing within. She motioned for me to follow her inside. I knew where this was going. I would've liked to tell you that I ignored her advance, bid her goodnight and retreated to my room like a respectable captain of the Soul Society. _Nothing's ever that simple, is it?_ As I entered the room, I heard the door close and darkness cloaked me. "Kensei? I'm scared of the dark." She said in a playful tone. My hands found the edges of her robe and with my sight rendered useless, I leaned in and kissed her passionately. She spontaneously reacted and wrapped her arms around my neck in a firm grasp. I moved forward until her back was against the wall. She let out a gasp of realization and made a slight jump, wrapping her legs around my waist. She was easy to lift and with my hands supporting her back, I was able to gain more accessibility to her body. I broke away from her lips and placed kisses down her neck. I heard a slight moan escape from her lips and a sense of lust overcame me.

Fuck the 'overanalyzing' of my situation. Fuck the constant wondering of where this relationship was going. There was only her and I. There wasn't anyone else.

~.~.~

**AN: There WILL be smut next chapter onward. This is a warning for those who assumed that because there was little to no smut in the previous chapters, there will be minor sexual content in the story. This is not the case. The content will get graphic. This is my warning to you.**


	4. Relax

I awoke with a slight groan. After I overcame the fact that it was indeed morning and I had duties to attend to, I sat up sluggishly and walked to my wardrobe. Although I was required to remain alert and ready for action during the day, my job description did not say anything about how I must feel during mornings. I opened my wardrobe and selected my uniform. I finished adjusting my uniform and did a quick once over in my mirror. I nodded in approval and put my hand on my chamber's doorknob. A spontaneous wave of memories from last night came to my attention.

Last night could certainly be filed under 'interesting'. The kiss with Sakura felt so natural and I hadn't wanted it to end so abruptly. Who knows how much longer we would've remained in the room had we not been interrupted? After a few heavenly moments with her, we heard footsteps in the hallway and we both froze. The footsteps seemed to stop right in front of our room and in fear; we broke apart from our kiss. I pressed myself flat against the wall and held my breath. Although I couldn't see Sakura, it was evident that she was just as worried as I was. I could hear faint mumbling on the other side of the door. I slowly moved towards the door, hoping to hear the voice of the one responsible. Unfortunately, I accidently stepped on Sakura's foot and she made a small yelp. The talking on the other end stopped immediately and I could hear movement towards the door. I heard another voice ask some sort of question and the doorknob began to turn. Sakura squeezed against me and I placed my hand over her mouth, preventing any sounds from escaping her lips. The door opened only slightly and we huddled together in hopes of creating as little space as possible behind the door. I looked at the shadow conveyed on the floor and quickly realized that it was in fact a woman's silhouette. _Mashiro._ I told myself. I saw her shadow make a shrugging motion before closing the door. I felt a wave of relief overcome my body. I had to wipe the sweat forming at my brow and forced my breathing to resume a normal pace. It wasn't until I heard Mashiro walk down the hallway, past our door, that I released my grip on Sakura. I saw her move towards the door and open it slightly. She poked her head out and scanned the hallway to ensure it was clear before opening the door wider. She turned towards me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "It's getting late and I think I've had enough suspense and fear for tonight." She said with a smile. I watched her retreat back to her chambers and shut the door. I ruffled my silver hair and breathed a sigh of relief. Although I was disappointed that we had such a short time together, I was overjoyed that Mashiro hadn't caught us. I knew that I wouldn't hear the end of it from that poor excuse of a vice-captain. I finished my patrol of the hallway only half-heartily before returning to my chambers and lying in bed. The last thoughts I had were of Sakura before I drifted off to sleep.

I smiled at the thought of last night and opened the door to the hallway. _Things will certainly be interesting from here on in._

.=.=.=.=.=.=.

The daily Gotei 13 meeting seemed to go on at a torturously slow pace. It took all my focus to refrain my mind from wandering. I made notes when necessary and patiently listened to the discussions of the other captains. The meeting wrapped up and I was disappointed to learn that my division was without tasks for the day. I inquired as to what my division would do and my answer was an amused smile, a pat on the back and a short explanation as to why my division needed a day's rest. I scoffed and retorted how I had trained my division to withstand any task that lay ahead but my rebuttal was met only with deaf ears. Shinji urged me to walk with him as we left the meeting. Deciding that there was no other use of my time, I agreed. We had only walked a few paces before we ran into Sōsuke. Sōsuke greeted me and Shinji before instantly striking up a conversation with Shinji. Feeling a little out of place, I stood off to the side. Although it was irrational, I always had a strange feeling whenever I was around him. He always seemed to speak as though he was thinking of something else and I felt uncomfortable whenever our eyes met. It was though he had some sort of secret. Dismissing the feeling, I quickly made up an excuse to leave and apologized for my sudden exit. Shinji nodded and accepted my excuse without a second thought and although Sōsuke wished me a good day, I could feel his gaze on me as I left. I turned the corner and rammed into Mashiro. _This was the second time I nearly bowled over a woman. I suspect it's a blue moon._ Before I even had a chance to apologize, Mashiro fired a series of insults and remarks regarding my coordination at me. I only glared at her as she continued to ramble on, hoping she take a hint. I was, of course, giving her far too much credit and I ended up interrupting her to tell her our division had no plans for the day. She looked stunned for a few moments before doing an overly enthusiastic dance, attracting the looks of those who were passing by. I brought a hand to my face in embarrassment. _It was though I could never win with her._ I started to walk away but she followed me, keeping in pace when I sped up. "What are your plans for today, Kensei? How about learning how not to be an asshole and ram into people? Oh wait, you're too stupid to learn anything like that." I looked at her in amazement. _How was it that she could ignore all obvious signs of irritation?_

I stopped and grabbed her arms, forcing them to be held by her sides. "Mashiro, you and I both know that on an average day you don't do anything that even vaguely resembles the duties of a vice-captain. Normally, I would give you hell for it but since we have the day off, you're able to do whatever the hell you want without my pestering. I recommend that you take advantage of today because we're not going to have a day like this in a while. Go and eat some rice cakes or some shit like that. You do whatever you want and I'll do whatever I want. Does that seem like a reasonable agreement?" I tried to speak as calmly as possible but my voice cracked once or twice. Mashiro opened her mouth to speak but my harsh expression seemed to discourage her. She rolled her eyes and walked away, grumbling to herself about how much of a 'meanie' I was. I strolled down the hallway and opened the door to the main courtyard. I sat down on a nearby ledge and I caught sight of Sakura and Love laughing at unknown joke. I smiled slightly at the sight of Sakura and watched them with amusement. Sakura said something which resulted in Love bursting out in laughter gaining the attention of any surrounding Shinigami. I met Love's eye and he said something Sakura which resulted in her turning in my direction. I raised my hand to wave but upon realization how out of character that would be, I settled with a brief nod in her direction. Sakura turned back to Love and he said something that made her giggle. I raised an eyebrow. I knew they were talking about me and it bothered me slightly to not know what exactly they were saying about me. I hoped that Sakura hadn't told Love about the kiss or anyone for that matter. I wanted to keep this between us for as long as possible.

Sakura then stood up and turned towards me, a smile spread across her face. I saw Love say something to her before getting up and walking away. Sakura crossed the courtyard and took a seat on the ledge I was sitting on. "Hello Captain."

"Hello Sakura." I greeted. She pushed a stray hair from her eyes and straightened her robes. "The division has the day off." I said finally. She looked up with a surprised expression.

"I wasn't even aware that we had days off." She said, mystified.

"Apparently we do and our first one is today. " I remarked. "I've already told Mashiro but I've yet to tell anyone else. If you see them, you should be sure to let them know." Sakura nodded although it was apparent her thoughts were on something else.

"What are you doing today, Kensei?" She asked. "What do captains do on their days off?"

I was taken aback by the question. To be honest, I had never thought of it. Although I regularly commented on how much I would love a break from Mashiro, I had never given thought as to what I would do had the opportunity ever arisen. I guess I convinced myself that it would never happen and thus it was nothing to be worried about. I shrugged. "I'm not sure myself. I was trained to obey the tasks given to me and I've never experienced the freedom of having nothing to do." I mused. She laughed which made me look over in her direction with a questioning look.

"What's so funny?"

"You comment daily on how much you need a break and when the chance appears, you have no idea what to do." _She knew me well. Too well._

"What about you? What are your plans for the day?" I challenged.

"Nothing comes to mind." She said, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm sure I'll think of something though. The sky's the limit. You should take advantage of today. A day of relaxation will do you good." I stood up from the ledge, earning a frown from Sakura.

"I'll see you later." I said quietly. I turned on my heel and left before she could say another word.

.=.=.=.=.=.=.

I changed into a traditional bath robe and avoided the gaze of other Shinigami as I made my way towards the forest. I had spent the majority of the day catching up on some paperwork and various errands that I had left to the last minute. I met up with a few other captains on a casual level but it soon became apparent that I was one of the only captains with a free day. After much debate, I decided that the most efficient way to end the day was to relax and isolate myself from any interactions with Mashiro. I knew that she would be wandering the grounds and I didn't want to risk seeing her. I came to the conclusion that the hot springs would be the best way to really lower my stress level. The hot springs was a well-kept secret among captains in the Gotei 13 and I fully intended to make use of perhaps the only chance I had of visiting it. It took perhaps seven minutes to reach my destination. I stripped down and entered the steaming water. I let out a sound that conveyed pure bliss. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the ledge. With my eyes closed, my mind wandered. I thought about my division and how the other chairs were spending their day. _I wonder what Sakura did…_

It was only beginning to get dark and the sounds of the nightlife filled my ears. I had to be careful not to fall asleep while in the water. I started to take deep breaths. _In…out…in…out._ I couldn't remember the last time I felt this good. I heard a rustle in the bushes and opened my left eye. Failing to see anything, I dismissed it as nothing. A gust of wind blew and knocked my bathrobe off the branch and onto the ground. I sighed and swam over the opposite ledge where my robe lay. I got out of the water for a few moments to fix my bathrobe when a rustle followed by a small scream came from behind me. Out of instinct, I sank back to the water and realized that Sakura stood frozen with her flowered bathrobe on. The colour of her face would've put a tomato to shame. My face was already quite heated.

"I'm so sorry! Shit! I didn't know you'd come here too!" She said quickly, tripping over her words. I knew that she had seen the backside of me and I was having trouble concealing my embarrassment. She brought her hands over her eyes. "I didn't see anything! I swear! Don't get mad at me! If I had known…Argh! Goddamnit!" I wasn't sure why I wasn't scolding her at this point. Had the situation occurred with any other chair, I would've been yelling at them nonstop until I dressed myself at a rapid pace and stormed off. I couldn't find my voice but to be honest, I didn't want to yell at her. My embarrassment came from the fact that she had seen me partially naked when I wasn't aware that she was there. I was more embarrassed of being caught off guard then the fact that I had been naked.

"Don't worry about it. It was an accident." I said nervously, scratching the back of my head.

"No, it's not okay! I should've made absolutely sure that no one was here! I learned of this place when I overheard the captains of divisions three and twelve speaking about it. I shouldn't have eavesdropped! Shit! Why was I so stupid?" She was babbling nonsensically.

The funny thing is that since I was physically attracted to her, I had humored myself with a similar vision however in my fantasy we were both aware of each other and there was no embarrassment. Being a captain, I rarely had room for such fantasies and it was never against the rules to be attracted to someone. Everyone has fantasies but the main difference between average Shinigami and captains is that captains must keep ours to ourselves at all costs. Captains had a stoic air about them and while we indulged in fantasies occasionally, they could never define us. I turned my attention back to the embarrassed girl in front of me. "Sakura!" She stopped talking for a moment. "It's okay to turn around; I'm submerged in the water." She turned around slowly. I noted that the colour on her face hadn't begun to fade. "We're both adults here. After yesterday, I don't really see how this will affect our relationship so let's put it behind us, shall we?" I said, a small encouraging smile on my face.

She was speechless. Perhaps it was the fact that she had been so nervous a few moments ago and my words seemed to calm her down or it could have possibly been the fact that I noticed her eyes scan my bare chest when she turned around. Regardless, I was no longer embarrassed and I certainly did not feel any anger towards her. "It looks like you came to the hot springs to relax as well. While your timing isn't the best, you can stay if you wish. Unfortunately, I do not intend to leave. You can join me if you stay on the opposite end of the pool. The pool is surely big enough for the both of us. You've already seen me partially naked, after all." I joked lightly although she didn't seem to find it very funny. There was a part of me that wanted her to come in but I knew that if I encouraged her to do so, it would go against my role as captain. _All fantasies must be kept to oneself._

"Only if you turn around." She said after a long silence. I looked at her amused. "I'm serious." She said and her tone confirmed it. I turned around to face my bathrobe, putting my head on top of my arms that now rested on the ledge. I heard her bathrobe fall to the ground and a small splash. "Okay, it's safe to look." I turned back around and almost burst out laughing. She had submerged herself up to her neck, not intending for me to see anything below it. The overall situation was comical. After all, she had seen me naked from the backside and she decided to take no chances with me and her body. "Just because I saw you naked doesn't mean you can see me naked." She said as a matter-of-factly.

"I thought you said that you didn't see anything." I said, referencing her earlier comment. She flushed and mumbled to herself, angry that I had caught on to her mistake.

"I wasn't intending to get my hair wet but it seems as though I won't be able to avoid it." She said, not directly replying to my comment. I rolled my eyes and removed a band from my wrist.

"Take it." I urged. She looked at me, her eyes full of question. She shook her head. _God she was stubborn._ "Sakura, you just requested something to tie your hair back. I'm not going to ignore that request when I have a band available. As your captain, I'm ordering you to take it." I really didn't have patience for this. She swam over cautiously and stopped within a few feet of me. She extended her hand and I gave her the band. Our hands stayed together for a few brief moments. It appeared that neither of us wanted to pull away. The effects of our kiss last night was undeniably present. Finally, I let go and let her hand claim the band. Putting the band between her lips, she pulled her hair into a short ponytail and put the band in place. No sooner had she done so then an unknown creature howled in the distance. In fright, she automatically latched onto my right arm. She caught me off guard and I felt myself freeze up. She realized what she did and the babbling started once more.

"Kensei! I'm sorry! I know you said for me to keep my distance! It was a reflex! For god's sake, you're my captain! I can't believe I-" I cut her off as I placed a kiss upon her lips. My initial motive was to shut her up but I had trouble pulling away. It was as though it was last night all over again. She reacted more passionately than I thought. It was a slightly awkward kiss since she had been on my right side and I had to turn my head to kiss her but we didn't mind. We began where we left off last night. We broke away only to adjust ourselves. While she leaned against the ledge, I took my place in front of her so that we faced each other. Her arms wrapped around my head and I heard her breathing get irregular. I gave her a passionate kiss and went as far as to gently bit her bottom lip, causing her to open her mouth and allow my tongue inside. She moaned in approval as our tongues wrestled each other. I moved away from her mouth and started to place kisses down her neck, stopping only to suck on her fair skin for a few moments. She let out a soft groan accompanied by a weak attempt at saying my name. I dared myself to go further, the heat of the hot springs in junction with our bodies seemed to only encourage our activity. My lips continued their trek down her body and I found her collarbone, giving it a few kisses. My arms gently grabbed her waist and hoisted her up onto the underwater ledge that I had been sitting on only moments ago. Her chest was finally exposed now. I took a moment to take her in. She bit her lip, nervous about letting me see her chest for the first time.

I captured her lips once more and whispered how beautiful she was. She looked into my eyes and gently stroked the back of my head. Taking it as an encouragement, I lowered myself onto her chest captured her right nipple in between my lips. She moaned louder than before and her head fell back in ecstasy. As I gently sucked her rose coloured nipple, I could feel her fingers tightening their grip on my hair. She had diffculty speaking and could only make groans and sounds of encouragement. As I switched breasts, my hand gently began to massage the other so as not to leave her unsatisfied. _So much passion._ Our emotions had difficulty keeping up with our actions. I couldn't stop thinking how beautiful she looked and how she reacted when I made the smallest of movements. Soon, I felt her fingers pull my hair in a downward motion. I moved propped her up onto the ledge of the pool, giving me full access to her soaking body. I let my tongue drag down her chest and past her bellybutton. She gasped as started to lick the sides of her inner thighs, teasing her. She let out a small whimper of anticipation. I finally decided to give her the satisfaction and plunged my tongue inside her. Her back arched and she let out a breathless moan. I allowed my tongue to explore her to the fullest, leaving no part of her untouched. I gently worked my tongue into circles, a gasp of pleasure escaping her. "Ah…Kensei…I….I'm going to…" She shook slightly and came into my mouth. I eagerly licked up whatever missed my mouth and stood up so that I now stood in front of her entrance. I looked at her, a concerned expression on my face. "Kensei, please…" She pleaded.

"It's going to hurt." I said. I was all too ready to stop here and now. I knew that I'd feel unsatisfied but I couldn't do that to her. I remembered the time when we trained. Hurting her was one of the worst feelings I could experience.

"I'm ready." She wrapped her arms around me and I entered her slowly. She bit her lip and met my eyes. I made the first thrust into her causing a wave of pain to be swept through her. She gasped and I captured her lips with mine, allowing her time to adjust to my size. After a few moments she nodded and I started to thrust at a quicker pace. Her gasps of pain quickly became moans of pleasure as she leaned back on her arms which scarcely seemed to support her. "Faster, faster…" She said in between moans. I happily obligated and quickened my pace. As I continued to thrust at a fast pace, I leaned my head down and began to suck her breast once more. Our soaked bodies pressed against each other moving at an unknown rhythm, the sounds of the night accompanying the sounds of our uncontrolled vocals. I grunted as I felt myself nearing my climax.

"Sakura…" I said through gritted teeth.

"Kensei…I…." She attempted to say. We both said each other's names simultaneously and for a moment, we were one being. I came into her the same time that she did. Our orgasms pulsated in waves. Our breathing was heavy and we tried to catch our breath. I pulled out of her frail form and sank back into the water, Sakura following me in. She leaned against my chest and closed her eyes. I let my head fall back, eyes closed. I now knew how she felt about me and it was no surprise that I felt the same towards her. I felt a sense of protectiveness over her as she lay resting against my chest. _She was right; a day of relaxation really did me good._


	5. Stealth

After an hour or two of just sitting in the hot springs enjoying each other's company, I finally took the initiative and made a passing mention that we should be getting back to the headquarters. Kensei gave me a bemused expression and gave me a quick peck on the lips before agreeing. I swam over to the other end of the pool and put my hands on either side of the ledge. "Turn around." I said to my captain, a smile lingering on my lips.

"Are you serious?" Kensei asked, a shocked expression forming. I lifted my finger and made a 'turn around' motion. He didn't move for a few seconds, obviously believing this to be some sort of joke. Grumbling, he turned around so he faced the darkened forest. After making sure that he didn't have the slightest opportunity of peeking, I climbed out of the water and darted into a nearby shrub, grabbing my robe on the way. "Finished?" I heard him say.

"Almost." I responded, sliding on the robe and tying up the strands around my waist. My face was still heated from our experience and I did my best to force the blush down by focusing on the chilly winds that breezed past my body. "Alright, your turn." I said, leaning on the trunk of the tree and slipping on my left sandal. I heard him get out the water, still mumbling to himself. I crossed my arms and impatiently waited for him to put on his robe. I turned my head slightly and stole a glimpse at his shirtless form. I felt my cheeks go red again and I quickly looked away, worried that he would catch me and label me as a hypocrite. "Finished?"

"Almost." He said in a mocking tone of my voice. I knew he was referencing the exact same exchange we had moments ago only the roles were reversed. I rolled my eyes and glared at the tree in front of me, wishing I could be giving that glare to a certain silver haired half naked man. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I involuntarily jumped. Kensei raised an eyebrow at my slightly skittish behaviour.

"Someone's a little on edge."

"I'm fine." I said, catching my breath. Shrugging, he gave me a slight nudge towards the main path. It was incredibly dark within the forest and I wasn't all that comfortable about walking back this late but I did have my captain to protect me. My green eyes looked up at the moon as it peered behind some passing clouds. Kensei noticed that my gaze was directed elsewhere and traced my line of vision. I noticed his movement and giggled. "I'm just admiring the moon, that's all."

"I can't believe you. You have the perfect opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation with your captain and you decided to admire the moon instead." He tucked his hands into the pockets of the robe and turned his head in my direction.

"Sorry but sometimes I'm unpredictable like that." I teased, giving him a slight punch in the arm. "I like to keep everyone on their toes." The sounds of the night were picking up and a chill went down my back, instinctively making me shift a little closer to him.

"It keeps you interesting, that's for sure." Kensei remarked. "Why would I bother keeping you around if I didn't like your personality in any way, shape or form?"

"Because I'm the wall preventing you and Mashiro from grasping at each other's throats. " I laughed, sliding my hands into my side pockets as well upon realization of the current temperature. "If it weren't for me, I have no doubt that Mashiro would be stone cold dead by now. I don't understand why you don't like her. Sure, she can be a little irritating but at least she has a colourful personality."

"Colourful is understating the truth of the matter. Completely intolerable fits the description better." Kensei replied. "Believe me, if I had my first choice in vice captains I would have chosen someone who had at least a tiny bit of responsibility within them." I opened my mouth to comment when I felt a small tug on the bow behind my robe. I turned around just in time for the bow to come loose, I yelped in surprise and promptly pulled the robe around my body in a tight manner. I looked at the stray branch that stuck out from some shrubbery that we passed and I cursed under my breath. I shot a quick glance at Kensei and to my relief; he had just turned around now, realizing I was no longer walking alongside him. "What's wrong?"

"Shit, the branch pulled at the loop in the bow and made it come undone." I said. "Can you fix it for me? I can't exactly do it myself since the robe will reveal the front part of my body."

"I wouldn't mind." Kensei said, a cheeky grin on his face. I glowered at him and narrowed my eyes menacingly. Kensei sighed and walked behind me. "Fine." He breathed out, a hint of disappointment in his tone.

"Thank you." I said, giving him a strict look. "Don't try anything funny."

Kensei rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I would actually put you in such an awkward position? You don't know me very well, do you?" I felt his fingers graze my mid-back and released a breath of relief as he began to fix the bow. He pulled the strand tight, forcing a gasp from my mouth. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." He said, concerned. "I just want to make sure that it doesn't come undone again."

"What happens when I want to take it off again?" I asked innocently. I could have some fun too, Kensei. I heard a low chuckle behind me as he made the strand into a perfectly set bow.

"Done." He moved away as I cautiously let my grip on my robe relax. I allowed myself to relax after noting that the robe wasn't, in fact, going to fall off. "You don't know how difficult it is to concentrate on tying a bow when you have a scantily clad woman in front of you." He said in a low voice, obviously not meant for my ears. I still blushed slightly at the comment and resumed walking. As we approached the headquarters, I noticed something that struck me as a little out of the usual. Under normal circumstances, the gate to the 9th division headquarters was wide open but tonight it was closed. I cast an unsure glance to Kensei. The gate only closed during lockdowns. Kensei's brow furrowed as we drew closer the gate. He placed his hands around the bars and squinted past the bars. "Goddamnit, I didn't realize I'd be gone so long. At the morning meeting they mentioned that there was going to be an evening lockdown to modify the internal security system. I was going to tell the other division members a few hours before the actual lockdown but I guess I spent too much time in the hot springs." He stole a glance at me, smiling at me.

"Sorry, I didn't know about the lockdown…"

He held a hand up. "You didn't know. It was my fault. I should have realized just how distracted I could… become." He said the last few words with a playful tone although I could have just been imagining it. "We're going to have to go through the back entrance."

"Back entrance?" I asked, curiosity lacing my words.

He nodded and started to move around the gate. I followed him, slightly unsure of the situation. Weren't lockdowns supposed to** prevent** intruders from entering? If so, why did Kensei know of a back entrance to get inside? As we moved along the fence, he came to a sudden stop. I gave him a questioning look and he silently motioned to a light that was shining on the ground a few feet away. The search lights were used during lockdowns to catch sight of any intruders and while we could have just as easily walked into the glare of the light, set off the alarm and only be scolded for being outside during a lockdown, I knew that we'd also be questioned and knowing Kensei, he wouldn't hold back as to what we had really been doing. He was a captain after all. Biting my lip, I clung to Kensei's arm. He did a silent countdown using his fingers and we seized the opportunity of passing by the searchlight's gaze undetected. He moved around the corner and waited until I was able to catch up to him. "Listen closely; this section of the fence is about two inches shorter than the other parts. Using this to our advantage, we can climb over." He cupped his hands and I sheepishly put the sole of my foot onto his open palm. He hoisted me up and with a small struggle, managed to make it over the fence. I thought all the training was done at the academy but I suppose even I could be wrong once in a while. I was about to call to him and ask if he needed some sort of help but I watched him leap onto the fence and pull himself over.

"How many times have you done this exactly?" I whispered.

"Enough times to get extremely skilled at it." He replied. He led me across the courtyard and towards one of the east corner of the open area. His gaze remained fixed at the east wall of the headquarters and to my surprise, gently knocked on it. To be honest, I hadn't even noticed the discoloured wall that resided in the east corner. You'd think after spending so much time here you'd be able to pick up on some secrets. You'd be wrong. Kensei moved his left hand and grasped a door handle that seemingly appeared out of nowhere or perhaps it was the fact that it was pitch black outside and I couldn't see more than a couple of feet away from my line of sight. He opened the door in the quietest manner imaginable and grasping a handful of fabric from my robe, pulled me inside.

"Where are we exactly?"

"In the headquarters." Kensei said, he poked his head into the dimly lit hallway and after taking a quick glance in both directions, started to walk down the speciously never-ending hallway.

"I managed to gain that much from our journey, thanks. I meant where in the headquarters? I've never seen this hallway before." I said, quietly as we walked past the many doors that lined the pale golden coloured wall.

"I wouldn't expect you to. As far as I know, only a few select captains know about it. We discovered it by accident and we've been using it if we ever had the need to leave after hours. It is, of course, unethical to keep it a secret but we knew that if we mentioned it to anyone, it would surely get closed up. The hallway is primarily used for storage and it's only available within the ninth division headquarters. We have yet to find passage such as this within the walls of the other headquarters. We concluded that it was a construction error and the hallway wasn't initially part of the final design plan."

He stopped and looked down upon me, a serious expression on his face. The way he looked at me gave me a reminder that he did have two sides to his personality: the Kensei I knew and loved and the strict captain whom I learned to respect and occasionally fear. "You are not to tell anyone about this passage. If you were to do so, we could get dismissed from the Soul Society. They don't take too kindly in having secrets kept from them. As far as you're concerned, this never happened and we were within the headquarters at the time of the lockdown. Clear?" He asked me. I nodded and he visibly relaxed. "Come on." He continued down the hallway and stopped at a seemingly randomly chosen door. He opened it and urged me to follow quickly. As we ascended the stairs, I wondered to myself exactly how much Kensei knew as a captain. This passage couldn't be the only secret he knew about. "Sakura, I want you to close your eyes. I don't want you to know how we'll arrive at our destination. The less you know the better."

"But I won't-" I started to protest but after a firm glare at me, I squeezed my eyes shut. He guided me by the hand and although I tried to remember which direction we were going in, all the twists and turns caused my head to grow dizzy and I eventually gave up my pitiful attempt. Ten or so minutes had passed since I was told to shut my eyes. I learned the hard way not to open them when I tried to sneak a peek and Kensei shot me a stern look. Finally, Kensei spoke.

"Open your eyes." When we did, I was within his captain's quarters. A wave of confused feelings swept through my body and I wasn't able to piece anything together. I couldn't understand how we ended up in his room after pursuing a long and twisted path. He was smiling when I met his glance. "Back in the headquarters that you are familiar with…" He said. As I attempted to recover from my overwhelmingly confused feelings, Kensei took a seat on the edge of his bedding and leaned backwards onto his hands. "Thank you for such a…memorable evening." He seemed to be at a loss of words and I gave him a small smile in response.

"I should be thanking you." I said and I started to move towards the door when I felt an all too familiar tug at the bow behind my back. I turned to see that Kensei had reached out and looped his finger into the bow. We both knew that if I moved even a step further, his bow would come undone and I didn't want to re-live that experience again. I retraced my footsteps until I was facing him on the bed. I brought my legs onto the bed and straddled him. He leaned inwards and I met his lips quicker than he expected. My hands came around his neck and pulled him closer to me. He straightened himself so that he was able to move his arms once more and placed them behind my head. Flashes of the hot springs encounter seemed to occur at a rapid pace. I suppose this kiss made it official, we were going to pursue a relationship. I decided to surprise him with some newfound dominance and bit his lip before sliding my tongue into his mouth. Funnily enough, we both moaned at the same time. His hands fell from my head down to my back and I felt them stop at my ass. I grinned against his lips and pressed my forehead against his. "Getting a little too eager?"

"I figured that it was the least I could do after all the trouble I faced of getting you into my room."

I laughed softly. "So it was all a ploy to try and bring me to your room?"

"When you say it like that, it doesn't sound very romantic." He said huskily, deciding to start kissing the base of my throat instead. I let my head fall back and my hands found the back of his head once more. His tongue traced my collarbone before placing kisses up and down the base of my neck. I realized where this was going and I decided to switch things up. As soon as he pulled away for a breath, I gave him a slight push backwards onto the bed. I moved my head down and kissed him on his Adam's apple. I brought my head down to his chest and flicked my tongue against his nipple. He grew a slight shade of red as I playfully toyed with his left nipple with my tongue; I loved the way my captain looked when he knew I was in control. He whispered sweet encouragements to me and murmured my name, bringing me to the point of excitement. I lowered my head further and kissed his chest, pausing to admire his tattoo. I moved my finger in small circles on his protruding muscles and heard a groan from the back of his throat. I was obviously doing something right. I slowly lowered my head further down his body and stopped just before his pelvis. I was teasing him just as he teased me. "Fuck…" He managed to say in between rapid breaths.

I looked him in the eye and with a playful expression, tugged the strands of the robe that wrapped around his waist. The effect I was having on him was similar to what I had experienced in the hot springs. I figured that I should at least repay him for walking me home. I moved up his body and undid the strands, the robe falling at his sides. I moved up his body further and taking him in one hand, started to pump. He gasped at my new movement and I took this opportunity to continue kissing his Adam's apple. "Fuck…Sakura…" He said but I paid him no heed. I began to quicken my pace, his face becoming increasingly redder by the second. I gave him a small love bite on his neck and lowered my head just above my pumping hand. I took him in my mouth causing a breathy moan to escape from my captain. I moved my head up and down, massaging the tip and doing all I could to please my captain. "Sakura…I'm going to…" He came inside my mouth and I managed to swallow every last drop with a smile on my face.

He was still red and breathing quickly. "Fuck…" He moved his hand down my body and after giving me a quick kiss, inserted a finger into me. I gasped in response. Not only because he seemed to have recovered at an unbelievable rate but also because his fingers were cold to the touch. He kissed my chest as he moved his fingers in and out of me. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes at the feeling._ It felt so good…_No sooner had I adjusted to the feeling when he inserted another finger. He curled his fingers while he moved them in and out causing me to curl my toes in pleasure. I was in a state of pure bliss. I could feel myself nearing my climax when he inserted a third and final finger. My heart pace quickened and I was breathing just as heavily as he was moments ago. "Kensei…" I gripped his bare back and my face flushed to the point where it felt as though I was burning up. "Gah…" I came and a feeling of indescribable bliss came over me. Kensei removed his fingers and made sure he licked them clean before starting to shift beneath me.

I knew what he was going to do but I figured it would be slightly unusual to have sex with him twice in the same night. Foreplay was more than enough for me but I took a secret liking in the fact that I knew it wasn't going to be enough for him. I moved up his body and pulled his head back into a passionate kiss before getting off the bed. He made a slightly disappointed noise as I moved towards his door.

"Good night, Kensei." I said and before he could say anything, I opened his door and shut it behind me. I paused outside his door for a few moments before I heard him curse, rather loudly, within his quarters. I smiled to myself and walked away towards my room with a sense of accomplishment. _Sorry Kensei, you're going to have to work a little harder than that if you want to keep up with me… _


	6. You and Me

The next two weeks seemed to go by at a rapid pace. As my team tended to our daily assignments, I found my desire to be with Sakura growing at a dangerous rate. I was careful what I said and how I acted around her whilst in the presence of the rest of the division. No doubt some of the other captains had suspected that something was up but I monitored my actions and tried to lead them away from any developing suspicions.

There were times during the day where I felt completely overwhelmed with desire and I found myself hastily thinking up ways that I could lure Sakura away from the division for a few moments in order to satisfy my aching need to be around her.

We both remained extremely secretive about our relationship and we tried our best to find some time alone during the nights so that we would be free to be in the company with the other.

"Kensei!" A childish voice sounded, breaking my train of thought. I cast a sideways glance at the source of the voice, Mashiro cut in front of my path, forcing me to stop in my tracks. "We've been trekking for hours. Can't we have a break?" I shot her a fierce look.

"We have one job for the day and as captain, I believe that the faster we finish our objective, the faster we can end the day." Mashiro raised an eyebrow, obviously oblivious to the meaning within my words. Gently bringing my hand up and massaging my forehead, I finally answered. "That means no, Mashiro."

Mashiro's expression changed to one of realization and she crossed her arms. "I'm not going to move until you let us take a break." I shrugged and walked around her, my division following behind me. I heard her scowl in frustration before she ran ahead of me once again. "I'm serious, Kensei. I think everyone would like a chance to relax and I speak for everyone when I say that you are being such a dick." I brought my hands to my face in complete annoyance. I hated this aspect of my job. I completely, unconditionally, hated it. I turned around to face the slightly uneasy expressions of my team.

"Who believes that Mashiro is correct in these accusations?" Silence greeted me. Kasaki gave a slight cough and averted his eyes from my stare. Sakura seemed to have grown a fascination with her robe and gently fingered the fabric and Kaname acted as though I posed no question in the first place. "Don't be shy. If anyone agrees with Mashiro, speak now. I won't bite." I said, my voice conveying the exact opposite of my statement.

After a few minutes of silence, I turned back to Mashiro, a satisfied look on my face. "Well, I believe that the division has chosen its course of action." Mashiro narrowed my eyes and resorted to her default personality mode, whining.

As we continued along the perimeter, Mashiro would whine to whoever got a few feet from her. I could hear groans of annoyance from behind me and I felt a smug grin creep up on my face. I suddenly became aware of Sakura taking up a walking position beside me. She caught my eye and gave me a pleading look. "What?" I asked but I knew all too well what she meant.

"I know you want to finish our task for the day and believe me, I would love nothing more than to simply get it over with but Mashiro is aggravating the other seats. They aren't able to say anything negative about their vice captain and I am certainly not saying anything negative about her," She said trailing off slightly. "But I think, for the sake of everyone's sanity, we should take a small break." She said the last few words in a quiet manner but I was able to catch every word.

I exhaled loudly and furrowed my brows in thought. Sakura had obviously been debating with herself on whether she should mention the concern with me but at the same time, the reason I wanted to end our day's tasks so quickly was to spend some time with her before my duties demanded my attention. I wearily looked behind me at Mashiro and rolled my eyes. I hate being such a pushover.

"Fine, but it's only because I'm in need of a drink of water." I finally mumbled sourly. Sakura smiled and gave me a slight nudge.

"I'll make it up to you. I promise." She said the words in a hushed manner but fell back in step before I could respond.

I stopped as well and turned around to face my team. "We're going to take a water break. We're only going to reserve a small amount of time for this small setback and I expect everyone back in this exact spot in no less than twenty five minutes. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief except for Mashiro who only gave me a cheeky look before sticking her tongue out. _One of these days, Mashiro. One of these days…_

I purposely started to set my course for a denser part of the forest and left the rest of my division behind to tend to their thoughts. I leaned against the trunk of a rather large tree and pressed my head firmly against it.

"Thanks. You don't know how much needed a break from Mashiro." Sakura's voice pierced my ears and a shadow of a smile appeared on my lips.

"If only I could have a break from Mashiro, permanently." I responded. Sakura laughed softly and placed a hand on the side of my face.

"Don't be too hard on her. She's doing the best she can." I snorted in response and brought my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to my body. She ran her hand through my silver hair and looked into my eyes. "I can't help feeling responsible for your lack of willpower around Mashiro."

"Believe me; Mashiro's annoying relationship with me goes way beyond you. If anything, you made her slightly more tolerable since I now have something to look forward to at the end of the day." Her hand gently rubbed the back of my neck, a smile on her lips.

"Aren't I lucky to have such a tolerant captain?" She leaned in and pressed her soft lips against mine. My urges got the better of me as I started to kiss back with a little more effort and passion. She was kissing the life out of me. Desire shook me, forcing my hands to clutch her hips more tightly. I had waited all day to be with her and if she was offering her company, I sure as hell would take it. She leaned her body inwards to mine, letting me support her as her hands explored my exposed torso. One fingertip circled my nipple slowly, sensually, and I felt that familiar aching need resonating off my body. _Fuck…_

Her tongue swiped at my bottom lip, begging for entrance and I accepted wholeheartedly – my mouth opened for her and our tongues duelled hotly. Both of us seemed to want to overpower the other as our tongues battled for dominance. I was surprised by her determination and the fact that she was trying to beat me at my own game only turned me on more.

Her sweet scent filled my senses and I found myself eager to make use of all the time we had. I instantly cursed myself for not giving the division a longer break. She broke apart for some air; her breathing rate had slightly increased. I gently bit her bottom lip slightly, provoking a moan from my seventh seat.

I moved my lips down to her right shoulder, placing kisses in and around the tender area. She seemed just as eager since while I kissed her shoulder, her hand fell down to the waistband of the lower half of my uniform. She tugged on it and I couldn't help but grin. I was going to take his nice and slow.

The two of us had certainly grown to be more adventurous with each other and our passion was anything but depleting. In a quick motion, I spun her around so that her back was against the trunk of the tree. Kissing her neck, my hand snaked through an opening in her robe. She in took a quick breath in reaction. "Sorry, cold hands." I murmured into her neck.

I let my hand roam across her right breast and gave her nipple a tweak. The look on her face was motivation enough for me to continue. Dipping my head, I circled her nipples with my tongue as Sakura's fingernails raked across my scalp.

Her head pressed firmly against the trunk of the tree and her face turned a light shade of red. Sakura moaned and purred, running her nails from my head to down my back – my pleasure was immediately heightened by little electrical pulses shooting down my spine.

I was finding it difficult to maintain any sort of control at this point. I wanted to tease her and force her to enjoy every moment that we experienced but I knew that I couldn't keep up the foreplay forever.

Deciding to take it up a notch, I moved my free hand underneath the hems of her robe, toying with the fabric of the girl's undergarments. She was already wet and I had no trouble inserting a finger inside. Sakura cried out my name as she clung to me, words falling from her lips like silk against my ear. I loved how I was making her react. As I let my lips wrap around her nipple, I increased the pace at which my fingers moved in and out of the girl. She started to pant and could only manage to say a few syllables of my name at a time.

I added another finger and removed them from for a brief moment before forcing them back in quickly making Sakura arch her back. "Oh yes." She sighed with pleasure.

Every time I moved inwards, my seventh seat showed her enjoyment, whether it a gasp or biting of her lip. I picked up pace with my both my tongue and my fingers. Judging by her heated moans and gasps, it was obvious that she was nearing her climax.

I gently bit down on her nipple and added yet another finger, accompanying the other two. Sakura cried my name and she came onto my fingers. Grinning, I lifted my fingers up and made sure to lick them clean. She recovered quickly and seemed impatient to repay the favour.

She fell to her knees and gave me a mischievous look before pulling down the waistband of my uniform. She gave me a quick glance before taking all of me into her mouth.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand upright. She let her tongue roll on my tip and gradually began to move back and forth.

I grunted at the sensation and brought my hand down, tenderly stroking her head. She seemed to be determined to make me feel as wonderful as I had made her feel only moments ago. She began to go at a slower pace. _Damn…such a tease_.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to give her too much satisfaction. She enjoyed being in control and she was fully determined to make this feeling last as long as possible.

I moaned her name over and over again. Sakura started to lick up and down my shaft nearly pushing me over the edge right then and there. I forced myself to hold out just a little bit longer.

With a final stroke from her soft hands, I came straight into her mouth. She made sure that she swallowed every last drop standing upright and pressed her back against the trunk.

I moved closer to her and after supporting her legs, helped her jump up so that her weight was supported by the trunk. Wrapping her legs around my waist, I entered her, initiating a heated moan from the both of us.

Even after several weeks, she was still as tight as ever. Her walls clamped down around me, sending wave after wave of bliss through my body.

_Fuck…._

She rested her hands over my shoulders and dug her nails into my skin.

I kept a moderate pace as I moved in and out of her. Gripping her thigh, I hiked it further up to enter her a little deeper. As I did, her moans became louder. The beautiful sounds leaving my seventh seat's mouth were overwhelming. The feel of her soft skin against mine was more than I believed that I could handle, but I didn't want it to end.

I held on tight, trying to keep control of myself and helping her to reach her peak. "Faster," she moaned. I happily obliged and I felt moans slipping from my lips almost at the rate she was. I could tell that she was close to the edge and it was maddening. I had to make sure that we would climax together.

I picked up the pace, our bodies becoming sticky with sweat. "So good..." Sakura panted as her breath hitched. She was so close now. Her legs were beginning to shake on their own and her body was overheating.

I knew that I couldn't last much longer. I knew that Sakura was reaching the same point I was and I decided to push her over the edge. I rested the pad of my thumb gently against her clit, applying the slightest pressure. "Fuck…" Sakura moaned, as her body began to convulse.

We both reached our climax at the same time. Our shouts of passion tied perfectly with each other. We both experienced such an indescribable orgasm and we found ourselves completely spent from our experience.

Our panting continued as we both tried to adopt our normal breathing rate once more. "I love you." I whispered, moving her hair away from her beautiful eyes. I caressed her cheek as she gave me a weary smile. I pulled her into another heated kiss as if to give emphasis on my statement.

She was mine and I would make sure she'd never forget that. I wouldn't let her go easily. I had gone past the point of no return.

_It was just us. _

_Or so we thought._

"Well, well. Can't say I'm surprised to see you two together." A voice sounded.

We both turned towards the source, eyes widening a shock.

The culprit grinned at the two of us. "Looks like someone has some explaining to do."


	7. Not So Secret

The turquoise eyes behind the red squared glasses and the long black hair styled in braids were unmistakable. Kensei and Sakura both stared in surprise, neither of them able to find their voice. Lisa smirked at their reactions and leaned against the tree. "Why are you so surprised? Someone was bound to find out. I, for one, am pleased that it was me." She adjusted her glasses, her eyes shifting from Kensei to Sakura. "You two are definitely more interesting than my josei manga."

Kensei opened his mouth to say something but Sakura had already started. "How long were you hiding there?" Sakura was already red in the face from Lisa's appearance. She and Kensei had hardly expected company it was unnerving knowing Lisa was watching them the _whole _time.

Lisa tapped her chin in a way that parodied concentration. The brunette shrugged. "Long enough to see you two going at it." She smiled, tauntingly. "You weren't half bad."

"If you tell anyone…" Kensei started, taking a step toward her.

"I don't think you're in a threating position, Captain. But then again, after seeing you two, I'm not sure what position you'd rather take." She grinned at the remark. Kensei flushed and scowled at her, not amused at her attempt at humour.

Sakura sighed heavily. "Kensei, do you think you could give Lisa and I a moment to talk? You probably should get back to the others anyway. I'll meet up with you later."

"Why the hell would I leave now?" Kensei fired back, his eyes glowering at Lisa. It probably didn't help matters that Lisa now wore a subtle but cheeky expression on her face.

"Trust me." Sakura gave him a quick kiss and lightly pushed him back towards the main path. Kensei started to speak but Sakura simply pointed down the path. Mumbling to himself, the captain gave Lisa a quick glare before walking away.

Sakura made sure that the silver haired man was completely out of sight before turning towards the other female. Lisa clicked her tongue before crossing her arms. "How long has this been going on?"

"A while." Sakura answered simply, not intending to give away the actual length. She had the right to _some_ privacy in her life. "Why didn't you come out of your hiding spot before Kensei and I…" Red painted her cheeks once more.

"Why would I stop you? There's nothing physically wrong with your actions. Morally, however, is where you two crossed the line. If I had to guess, I'd say that it wasn't your first time with him." Lisa commented, smiling. "So how is he?"

"I'm not about to tell you that." Sakura replied, slightly embarrassed. She wished that the whole situation would go away. _Things are only going to get more complicated from here on in._ She thought. "What I am going to tell you is now that you've found out," She took a deep breath. "I'm going to have to notify the entire Soul Society."

"Oh, so you're not planning to keep this a secret." Lisa gave her a disappointed look. "That's not fun. I thought I was going to be the only person to know about your secret love affair."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me you weren't going to tell anyone? What would you do with the knowledge then?"

"Like I said, you two are better than the manga I read." Lisa said casually. "I'm offended that you jumped to that conclusion. I thought we had a real friendship going." She shook her head in fake disappointment. "You should learn to trust others a bit more."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief and finally cracked a smile. "Thanks, Lisa."

The other brunette smirked. "I sort of figured that something was happening between the two of you. Anyone with eyes can see the way you look at each other. I'm shocked that no one caught on. Or perhaps no one had the balls to say anything." Lisa shrugged. "It doesn't really matter now. I can't imagine that the Soul Society will punish you severely. It's not as though your relationship has affected your work in any way. Kensei still looks like he hasn't slept in days." Lisa gave Sakura a mischievous look. "Maybe you're to blame for that one…" Sakura rolled her eyes, smiling. Lisa's expression changed to a more amused expression. "Speaking of Kensei, how much would you wager that he's paranoid that I'm going to tell someone? He's probably sweating bullets right now."

Sakura smirked. "He probably is. He'll definitely be relieved when we tell him what's going on."

"Do we _really_ have to tell him? An opportunity like this isn't given very often. You don't think we should let him sweat a bit?" Lisa said with a smile. "It might be fun…"

"The relationship itself has put his stress level had an all-time high. I don't think we should tease him anymore. He might blow a fuse." She returned the smile. "We should probably start walking back. I'm sure he's going to want to talk with both of us when we return."

Lisa sighed audibly. "It's not like I have anything better to do." The two brunettes began walking back to the headquarters. "What's he like?" She asked innocently. Sakura gave the other a girl a look. "No, not in that way. You've already made it quite clear that you're not going to tell me. "Lisa explained. "I meant personality wise. What's he like when you're around him?"

Sakura tucked a dark hair behind her ear and was silent for a few seconds, trying to think of a way to describe him. "He's a lot more…gentle." She finally said. "While he still has a strong sense of leadership and authority, he treats me wonderfully. He's been a wonderful lover." Sakura added at the end which attracted Lisa's attention.

"Do you love him though? Having a lover versus being in love are two different concepts." She said with a curious tone.

"Maybe." Sakura said quietly. "I just don't want to ruin our relationship with a talk about our future. I'm happy the way we are currently. If he decides to take it further, I wouldn't object." She looked at her friend with a satisfied expression. She was so lucky to have a friend like Lisa. Sure, it was always nice to talk to Love or Hiyori but she and Lisa really had a strong bond. They could literally to talk to each other about anything. Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and looked back up at her friend who wore an understanding expression. "You probably think I'm being ridiculous…"

Lisa shrugged. "I thought you would do better than Kensei. If anything, he has the better deal." Lisa gave her friend a half smile. "You two make a fascinating couple."

The two girls stopped at the main gate of the Gotei 13 and exchanged a look. Kensei was in the courtyard and no sooner had he caught sight of the two girls, he stood up and took long strides towards them. Gripping both of their sleeves, he wordlessly pulled them off to the side. "Would one of you care to explain what the hell is going to happen now?"

"Oh, I've decided to blackmail you both. Seems like your days here are numbered unless you follow my demands…" Lisa started with a bemused tone.

Kensei's expression turned from confused to anger in a matter of seconds. He took a step forward only to be pushed back by Sakura. "She's kidding." Sakura said flashing an un-amused look at her brunette friend. Sakura turned back to her captain and gave him a weary smile. "Although Lisa graciously told me that she'd keep it a secret…" Sakura bit her lip in slight hesitation. "I think this is a sign we better tell the Soul Society about our relationship." She searched his eyes for a reaction.

He seemed momentarily stunned before emitting a sigh. "I suppose this has been kept in secret long enough." Sakura nodded in agreement. He cast a glance at Lisa. "Just as long as we're the ones notifying them rather than her."

She gave him a bored expression and rolled her eyes. "Of course." Lisa took a deep breath and looked from Kensei to Sakura. "As much as I'd love to stay here and do absolutely nothing with my time, I must report back to my respective captain. Excuse me." With those words, Lisa turned on her heel and walked towards the 8th Division Headquarters.

Kensei turned to Sakura and brushed the hair out of her eyes. Gently pressing his forehead against hers, a smile formed on his lips. "I'm glad she left…" He murmured.

Sakura gave him a mischievous look and pecked him on the lips. "Why? She likes you so much." The two of them smirked simultaneously. "We'll notify the Gotei 13 tomorrow at the morning meeting."

Kensei nodded. "So that means that we still have the whole night in complete secrecy." His eyes locked onto hers. She felt herself grow red in the cheeks under his gaze. He noticed this and chuckled softly. "We're been together for this long and I still find a way to make you blush."

"Sorry." Sakura said softly.

"Don't be. It's one of my favourite things about you." He spoke as though he were telling a secret which sent shivers down the girl's spine. She loved the way he could do that to her but at the same time, hated feeling so vulnerable whenever she was in his embrace. She brought her hands up and lightly traced the outline of his well-structured face. Letting her fingers rake through his hair, she pulled him back into a fierce kiss. He responded at once and let his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her into the natural form of his body. Their kisses became more heated as both tried to gain the upper hand on the other. Sakura appeared to be determined to take charge while he wasn't ready to give her the satisfaction.

His hands instinctively moved towards the hem of the cloth separating them from each other only for Sakura to lay a soft hand on his. "Perhaps we should take this inside?"

"You're making this so difficult…" He said in a teasing tone.

"Good things come to those who wait." Sakura answered back, tracing her finger in small circles around his hand. He seemed ready to just ignore take her right then and there but after hearing the tone within her words, figured that she was being sensible.

They walked in almost complete silence on the way to his chambers. Sakura was even bold enough to greet a few familiar faces when they passed by. As far as they were concerned, nothing was out of the ordinary. Sakura could only smile to herself in realisation that their situation was completely the opposite. _A captain in love with his seat, how absurd._ Back at the academy, she would've laughed at the mere suggestion of it and perhaps cracked a few jokes but she realised that this once absurd situation, was now completely normal. _It's funny how it changes like that._ She thought to herself.

Kensei and Sakura quickly looked in both directions before entering the captain's chamber, shutting the door swiftly behind them. What happened next, Sakura could only describe later as a blur. In a heartbeat, he was kissing her like she had only five minutes before. She hated being caught off guard and took the initiative to slide her tongue in his mouth. He had a similar idea as his tongue met halfway with hers. In surprise, she fell back slightly; her back hitting the door. She gasped at the shock, giving Kensei the opportunity he needed. He took advantage of her shocked state and lowered her to the ground. "No fair…" She mumbled next to his ear. He could only grin as he laid her down on her back, admiring her beauty.

"Who said I was playing fair?" He slid his hand under her robe and casually untied the binding around her waist. The cloth fell limply at her sides. Kensei captured her mouth once more before running his hand across her chest. She moaned quietly into his mouth as her hands gripped the carpet underneath her. His other hand began to slowly glide downwards, past her hip.

He paused for a moment before reaching to cup her most intimate area. She squirmed against him, making him chuckle quietly. The captain ran a thumb up and down her slit slowly, allowing his finger to circle her clit a few times. Sakura was groaning as quietly as possible. With deliberate slowness, Kensei nudged her legs apart with his hands, which went up to touch her warmth again before seemingly changing direction and instead massaging her inner thighs. She bit her lip, trying not to turn around and tackle him to the ground.

"You're driving me crazy…" She growled softly at him. He squeezed her breast once more, making her words catch in her throat.

"Am I? I hadn't noticed." He whispered before plunging a finger into her, causing her to gasp and clutch at the carpet until her knuckled appeared to be going white. Moving his finger with impressive speed, he leaned down and took her nipple between his lips. She groaned and writhed slightly under his touch, causing him to move at a quicker pace. The attention to her breasts and clit were too much for her to handle. With a breathy moan that hardly resembled his name, she came onto his fingers. He lowered his head and licked her clean.

She rolled over onto her stomach and held her ass high in the air. He shed his own clothing and mounted her from behind. She winced slightly as he slid into her, still not quite adjusted to his size. She was still as tight as ever as he moved fully inside her. Grasping her ass for support, he started a solid pace. She gripped the carpet as he began to pump in and out of her with remarkable speed. Every moan seemed to only encourage him to move faster. Their names fell from their lips at quicker intervals. His eyes closed in concentration, beads of sweat formed at his brow. He gritted his teeth and obliged to her request for a faster pace. "I'm…I'm…"

"Yeah, I am too…" He managed to say before he climaxed with her. Their bodies shook at the momentous wave of pleasure that overcame them. They both took a moment to catch their breath before he pulled out of her and led her to his bed. His arms wrapped around her and his fingers run through her hair. "I love you." He said softly.

She moved her head up and met his eyes. "And I you." She replied before her eyes closed and her breathing became a slower and steadier pace. Kensei looked at the sleeping form that clung to his body with a smile.

_She was something else._


	8. Imperfection at its Finest

**A/N: I realize how foreign this author note must be seeing as I hardly write them but this one holds some importance. **

**I apologize for such a late update. There is absolutely no excuse for this gap and I'm sincerely sorry. I certainly haven't given up on this story despite my more recent one-shots. I had to do some major plot construction for this story.**

**Sakura is not my OC. I just wanted to clear this up since I've been getting some reviews thinking otherwise. This wonderful OC belongs to **XxLaBellaNottexX.

**I will be going on vacation for two weeks. I've already started the next chapter and I'll finish it when I return. **

Sakura hated waiting. Specifically, she hated the concept of doing absolutely nothing of value for a set amount of time in anticipation of a more important event. She nervously tapped her fingers against the stone ledge she was sitting on and cast timely glances towards the main doors. As promised, the couple decided to notify Yamamoto about their established relationship and reassure the Gotei 13 that their relationship would not interfere with her duties.

The small courtyard was surprisingly quiet today; the only sound being made was the gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the neighbouring trees. The time alone, she supposed, was what she really needed.

When she was meeting with Yamamoto, she was sweating bullets. The questions asked seemed only to escalate in difficulty and put an ample amount of pressure on her to answer adequately. The questions, now that she had time to reflect upon them, had been trivial and basic; simple inquiries about their relationship as a couple and how it was able to coincide with their daily activities. All eyes had been on her as she slowly answered to the best of her ability, being careful not to reveal too much nor too little. And yet…

Sakura released a long exhale and turned wearily at the gates, no longer counting down the seconds until Kensei made an appearance. There was one particular question that had her in a standstill: Do you know the consequences if this relationship gets out of hand? It haunted her even now. That damn question echoing in her mind like a fleeting mosquito around your ear. The question annoyed her to no end; not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't want to be reminded.

She had thought of the consequences since day one. She knew that Kensei would most likely lose his prestigious position and she would be forced to leave the Gotei 13. Well, perhaps 'forced to leave' was a little harsh. Relocated? A guarantee.

Sakura felt her stomach turn with guilt. Why was she concerned about her fate? What about Kensei's? All his work would be abolished in one swift move. She would hate to be saddled with such an unfortunate reality: Kensei's losses were because of her.

Was she doing the right thing? Her heart seemed to tell her so but her mind seemed to have a rather different opinion. Kensei had been nothing less than the perfect partner; they shared a strong trust that could only be developed from student and teacher. _Not to mention he's a perfect lover…_ Sakura felt her cheeks heat up at the thought. _The way he squeezed his eyes shut for just a few moments before he climaxed…Or when he skillfully maneuvered his strong hand to the spot that sent her over the edge. That spot…_

The girl shook the thoughts out of her head and quickly tried to recompose herself, slightly embarrassed at how far her thoughts had strayed. Tugging her robe nervously, she tried to reposition herself into a more comfortable position.

"You seem tense."

Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin at the female voice, her heart going miles a minute. Lisa smirked at the sight of the young woman being caught off guard. "You have a nasty habit of showing up in places where you're not expected." Sakura said with a small hint of amusement.

"Only those which contain interest." Lisa replied simply, taking a seat next to her friend. "Now, are you going to tell me what's on your mind or shall I guess?"

Sakura gave Lisa a sour look. "I'm not really in the mood for discussing."

"He's gotten worse in bed."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"The issue that you're upset about. Kensei isn't satisfying your sexual needs. Understandable, of course. I suspected as much just by looking at him." Lisa explained, her tone and expression giving off a completely serious impression. "I'm not surprised. Eventually, a male's sexual desire and passion hits a certain peak and begins to plateau and Kensei is more than susceptible to such behaviour..."

"What? No!" Sakura quickly interjected. "Nothing like that."

"Shall I take another guess? Perhaps it's because of Kensei's huge—"

"It has nothing to do with Kensei." Sakura interrupted. Seeing her friend's eyes fall back on her with a look of total concentration, Sakura finally realised that she was getting nowhere. "Have you…" She started, a little nervous. "Have you ever thought that something felt right but after reflecting upon the consequences, begin to think that the whole situation may be wrong?" She tried explaining. To be honest, it was a pretty poor explanation and she knew that she wasn't doing a good job of hiding her true thoughts from the dark haired girl.

Lisa surveyed Sakura's expression and tone through her square glasses before responding in a calm but firm tone. "You're questioning this entire relationship, aren't you?"

The younger female averted her eyes away, nodding in response.

The braided girl leaned back upon her open palms, attempting a more reclined position. "Sakura, you know that I wouldn't lie to you so I have to ask that you respect my opinion on the matter." Seeing Sakura's nod in confirmation, Lisa smirked. "You two are far better than my josei manga."

After a few moments of silence, Sakura frowned. "That's it? That's your opinion of Kensei and I?" She stared at her friend with annoyance. She had confided in her friend and trusted her to give her opinion. Sakura knew that Lisa tended to mind her own business but the least she could do was offer some feedback.

Lisa shrugged and closed her eyes, enjoying the light breeze. "I gave you my opinion. You never said that it had to be useful."

"I was expecting something a little more constructive." Sakura huffed. "Some friend you are." She mumbled unenthusiastically.

"Your relationship can't be governed solely on what others think of you. There will always be people who disagree with the prospect of you two as a couple but you can't let that bring you down." Lisa spoke quietly with a distant tone. "Only you and you alone are aware of what's right and wrong based on your own moral guidelines."

Sakura was speechless. She hardly expected such an answer after the initial response. Lisa was absolutely right, of course. Who cares what the others think? "Thanks, Lisa. That was the response I was hoping for." She said with a small smile.

Lisa opened her eyes and jumped down from the ledge. "You'll figure it out. I know you will." The pig-tailed brunette turned to leave. "You know…" She turned her head and looked at Sakura once more. "I always thought you two would pull through. You have the sort of attraction that can only be described as magnetic." Lisa adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "As a couple, you two can make it far." With a parting wave, she left her friend alone with her thoughts.

Sakura stared after her, watching her leave. Her eyes glanced towards the looming tree and with a quick look to either side, she hopped down from her ledge and got a firm grasp of the tree.

Starting to climb, she couldn't help but feel rebellious at such an act. She used to climb trees all the time whilst at the Academy but with Kensei and his slightly overbearing concern for safety, she was forced to leave it behind. Higher and higher. Her hands found branches and limbs easily while she moved her feet in sync. Finishing her climb, she found a reclining position against the main trunk.

The courtyard looked absolutely beautiful; so quiet and serene. There was something about being off the ground and just enjoying the landscape of the Soul Society which really got her thinking. She imagined that the other captains and their respective seats were either attending to their own daily duties or sitting in on the council meeting being held with Kensei. _Kensei…_

"_You should probably calm her down." Sakura advised with a smile, watching Mashiro complain to whoever was nearby about the strenuous task for the day._

"_Why would I do that? It's bad enough that she's my lieutenant but if she's going to spend the day chewing my ear off, there better be a good amount of distance between the two of us. I can't promise you that I'll be able to control my temper with her." Kensei massaged his temples with two fingers and sighed. _

"_Maybe you should send her off to be a researcher with Hiyori…" Sakura started but was quickly interrupted by the girl in question._

"_Hey! My job isn't exactly a walk in the park, you know!" Hiyori barked. "I'm not going to be forced to deal with her!" The 12__th__ Division was on their break and while Hiyori was hesitant to sit down near the 9__th__ Division, she figured she'd be able to control her temper for a few minutes before heading back into the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. _

"_You two are treating her a little bit too harshly." Kensei and Hiyori exchanged a glance for a brief moment before quickly averting their eyes. "She's bubbly and she's just looking to have some fun."_

"_You mean she acts like an incompetent child." Kensei jumped in. "Complaining and whining about your hunger won't win a battle at the end of the day." Turning to Sakura, he flashed her a grin. "Luckily I have five extra seats to accommodate the lack of skill on my lieutenant's part."_

"_Without a proper captain to guide the division, we'd be lost." Sakura answered in return, sharing a smile._

"_I can't believe it. You two are so sappy. Is that all you talk about?" Hiyori asked. "Every time I see you two, you're either smiling at each other with a dopy look on your faces or you're complimenting each other. I know as well as anyone that seats and their captains don't always get along but what makes you two so perfect? Just fuck already and save everyone the trouble."_

_Sakura's gaze flickered to Kensei, both of them caught completely off-guard. They both knew that Hiyori had a short temper and could shoot her mouth off extremely easily but they couldn't help but wonder if their relationship seemd obvious. 'Hiyori meant it as a joke but she hit the nail right on the head.' She thought silently. By the look on Kensei's face, it seemed as though he were thinking the very same thing._

_Standing up, Hiyori brushed herself off and scowled. "Not everyone can get along with their captain as easily as you can. Start having some problems, goddamnit." Turning on her heel, the blonde girl stormed away towards the Shinigami Research and Development Institute._

_A few moments passed before Kensei finally spoke. "I'm surprised she last ten minutes in our company. She's been fighting with Shinji all morning and I was wondering when she'd go off."_

_His 7__th__ seat breathed a sigh of relief. "At least she wasn't serious." Leaning back on her palms, she turned her head towards Mashiro. "Kensei…"_

"_Yes?"_

"…_Did Mashiro just tackle your 3__rd__ seat?"_

That happened two months ago. Sakura felt herself shiver as another gust of wind blew past. She was happy with Kensei, wasn't she? _Yes, of course. But…_ Biting her lip, she thought back to all of their memorable milestones in their relationship. Did they ever have to deal with any real problems? Most couples fight, don't they? Sure, she and Kensei had their little spats at times but usually it was over trivial things that were quickly forgotten by the next day.

"Sakura!" She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the source of the voice. Peering down, she saw her captain at the root of the tree. He wore a serious expression but his voice conveyed one of worry and alarm. "What are you doing up there? Trying to get yourself killed?"

"You know as well as I do that I can handle a simple tree." She quipped as she began her descent. Sakura moved her leg down to the next limb when she felt her leg slip.

Giving a sound of surprise, she fell a few feet before landing into his arms. "I didn't think so." He said with a cheeky expression. "I warned you to be careful but you never listen. You're not much of a seat, are you?"

Giving him a quick but loving kiss, she leaned against his arm. "How'd it go?" She asked with a small voice, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

Kensei lowered her to the ground and took a seat next to her. "It was rough, that's for sure. I stated my case, my responsibilities as captain and answered all the questions they posed. I don't know why but they seemed to take my word for it." His face broke out into a large smile. "Looks like we're okay for now."

"That's great, Kensei." She finally found her voice. She knew that she should have been bouncing off the walls and should have leapt into his arms while they made their way to his room but something was holding her back. Something that wasn't there before.

Her captain noted her tone and shifted closer to her. "Are you all right? You seem…a little less thrilled than I imagined." Worry and concern. Sakura found his protective nature so sweet and caring. He was always looking out for her and giving her every opportunity she could've ever dreamed about and yet, his job was at risk if their _relationship_ came between him and his accountabilities.

She still wore a weak smile, unable to get those uneasy _relationship_ feelings out of her head. It felt weird referring to it as a 'relationship'. Partnership seemed so much more appropriate. Partnerships eventually dealt with disagreement between parties which was exactly how she was feeling about the whole situation anyway. A conflict of interests. "I'm fine, Kensei. I really am."

Sakura was pulled into a strong hug by the silver haired man. "We're in this together." He spoke with authority. With leadership. The warm chest pressed against hers normally sent her to a place of love and comfort. Presently, she experienced neither.

What she experienced scared her more than any enemy. More than any nightmare ever faced during her sleep.

Doubt.


	9. New Perspective

**A/N: To those reading solely for the smut, next chapter. **

**Italics are thoughts/memories.**

**Third Person POV**

"What have I gotten myself into?" The 9th Division captain murmured under his breath. He was waiting to be called in to discuss his relationship with Sakura and it was nerve-wracking. _Goddamnit… I hate waiting._ Patience was certainly not one of his attributes but this was tortuous. The only positive aspect was that he was finally given some time to think and really dive into the heart of the situation.

He sighed and crossed his arms, turning his attention to outside one of the windows. Did he truly know what he was getting into when he saw Sakura in the training academy? That fateful day when he offered her a seat in his division? Granted, he had chosen her primarily because of her skill in combat but did her beauty play a factor in his decision? No, he finally decided. There were many viable candidates for the seat and he chose her through a captain's criteria, nothing more and nothing less.

His eyes fell down to the armrest of his chair, just noticing now that he was feverishly tapping his finger. Why was he so nervous? He was trained to remain calm in even the direst of situations and _**this**_ was the exception? Kensei closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, mentally counting to ten; he had been told that this was the procedure to follow if one became stressful. After a few moments, he exhaled and leaned on his open palm. _That didn't work at all. _

"_You always look so tired all the time." Sakura smiled, gently stroking the back of his head. _

"_When one takes the position of 'captain', it's expected." He replied, leaning his head on hers. "Besides, I always find the energy to deal with my division."_

"_You must have sort of reserve; energy used only when dealing with your team."_

"_No, only for Mashiro." She laughed softly before falling quiet. They just sat there. Enjoying each other's presence. Nothing could bother them at that moment in time. There were no fears, no worries._

_Just them. _

"You don't look well." Kensei looked up at the source of the voice, Love. The 7th Division captain leaned against the wall, eyeing the other male. "Anxious?"

"Of course not." Kensei answered smoothly, adjusting his uncomfortable position. "I already have an idea of what the captain-commander will say so I don't believe there will be any surprises." Kensei had never been extremely close to Love and had only spoke to him in a handful of occasions and while he considered him to be good company, he hardly expected Love (or anyone else for that matter) to speak with him before the meeting. "Shouldn't you be inside preparing for the meeting? All of the captains must be present."

"You could say that I'm taking a short break before going back in." Love offered a small smile. "Whatever their decision is, know that it's nothing personal against you; they're just maintaining the peace and conforming to the fixed standards."

"The Gotei 13 must do what what's right for the Soul Society; I don't plan on arguing against their decision and if that decision is retirement from my division, it is completely understandable." The silver haired captain frowned. "You know, I never would have believed that our relationship would grow to such a stage; I suppose I believed that it would bloom and then fade away with time."

"Like one of those cherry blossoms outside?" Love suggested casually. Both men looked outside simultaneously, eyeing the trees.

"Perhaps." Kensei shrugged and stood up, finally getting tired of remaining stationary in his chair. "It's difficult to explain and naturally I don't mean to waste your time with this matter."

"I have a few minutes." Kensei had to hand it to Love; he sure was persistent. "But you should know that my decision will not take this conversation into account."

"Duly noted." Kensei answered simply. Taking a deep breath, he faced the other man and began.

What followed was perhaps the hardest conversation Kensei had ever had. He recounted the numerous experiences and sensations he felt during his long-term relationship with Sakura (excluding inappropriate details, of course). The laughter, the sadness, the fear.

Love merely nodded from time to time and occasionally muttered a noise of agreement, encouraging the other captain further. Hearing the whole story come from his own lips had its own mysterious effect on Kensei. _Freedom_, he supposed. _Sakura and I have been keeping this quiet for so long that it felt good to just come out and tell someone. _The secret held no more significance; there was nothing to hold back.

"So that's it?" Love asked when Kensei finished. "That's how it all started?"

"Yes." Kensei gave a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his silver locks of hair. Now that he had a chance to reflect on what happened, he couldn't help but realize how quickly their relationship catalyzed through their close proximity as captain and seat. Had they met under different circumstances, would there even _be_ a relationship? Would they have fallen for each other's charms and attributes had their statuses been different?

Kensei swallowed hard and looked down at his feet. He hadn't been pushing her to stay together, had he? The relationship between a seat and their captain was certainly one that was questioned and for good reason. If another division's captain had pursued a similar relationship, would he have supported the notion? Would he be 'for' the proposed relationship instead of 'against' if he wasn't the party involved?

He turned his head and raised an eyebrow, just realizing at that moment that Love had been staring at him the whole time. "Sorry." He half-heartedly said under his breath, now aware that he had been staring at his feet for longer than what was socially acceptable.

"You were deep in thought; I didn't want to disturb you. I think you've realized the underlying problem." Love straightened himself up and offered a sympathetic nod. "Unfortunately, I'm needed at the meeting. I'll see you shortly."

"Wait!" Love stopped in his tracks and slightly craned his head at Kensei's voice. "You're not going to offer me any advice on the matter?"

"You are the only one who knows what's truly right for you. As a captain of another division, my alliance stays with the Gotei 13. As a captain of the 9th division, you must decide for yourself where you stand." With that, Love gave one final glance to Kensei before leaving the room.

The silver haired man watched the other captain leave, silently reflecting on his words. On one hand, it was nice to have a third party's opinion on the matter but at the same time, shouldn't he be most concerned with what feels right to him? He was chosen as a captain for his leadership skills and superior qualities over the over candidates after all.

He didn't have too much longer anyway. With Love gone, it was only a matter of time before he was called in and he'd have to make the decision.

The captain leaned his forehead on his head. After a few moments, he concluded that his talk with Love did, in fact, help.

There were holes in their relationship. Every relationship had them. And yet… he never truly acknowledged their presence. He hadn't given them much thought until now.

"_You're not even trying." His seat frowned and rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to learn if you don't challenge me."_

"_Sakura, it's nothing personal. You and I know that you're a strong fighter but you don't have to prove it to me. " He gave her a half smile, feeling defeated by the subject matter. This always seemed to come up. _

Every time they tried their hand at combat training, Sakura would always get the feeling that he wasn't treating her like a potential opponent and in a way, she was completely correct. After they solidified their relationship, he had changed his view of her. She was not only his seat but also his partner. No matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to picture her anything but.

Combat training had always been a bit of an issue from the beginning and he had recognized the problem early on. He was more than happy to recommend a combat partner for her to train with and for a while, it worked very nicely. Unfortunately, as they spent more and more time together, the desire to train with him began to grow once more.

She had a fair argument. 'You're the captain after all.' She would say. 'As your seat, it's your duty to pass on your wisdom.' He viewed her as something brittle and easy to break. His affection for her prevented him from changing this narrow-minded view. If you truly love something, you never want it to break. You never want to hurt it. It was simply the way he was; he couldn't change that.

There were problems but instead of learning from them, he ignored them. As a captain, he knew that this was the wrong direction to take. Problems can be turned into something constructive and incorporated into a newly formed plan. They weren't something to ignore.

He wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if Sakura was beginning to feel the same way. She was a clever girl; surely some of these thoughts were running through her mind as well.

"Captain?"

The foreign voice drew his attention towards the door that was slightly ajar. Taking a deep breath and trying to maintain a confident stance, he nodded. Everything was going to change now.

"We're ready for you."

The meeting went significantly better than he had expected. Perhaps it was because he went in with the expectation that he'd be notified of his newly lost position moments after he entered. Or maybe it was the artificially confident attitude that he had put up at the last minute. No, the most logical reason behind his relieved state was the fact that he had not, in fact, been removed from his position as the 9th Division's captain.

Unsurprisingly, the topic of interest during the captains' meeting was him, not Sakura. That's what he was really interested in, wasn't it? Kensei furrowed his brow.

With the exception of several changes to his expected performance as captain, nothing had changed. They acknowledged that he took his role as captain very seriously and they reassured him that his service was appreciated.

Their relationship had to fit certain boundaries, of course, and couldn't get too out of hand. Since their relationship, for the most part, had been in secret, it wasn't difficult to adjust to these new regulations and truth be told, Kensei considered himself extremely fortunate.

Most, if not all, the other captains had been rather accepting of the whole deal and he'd be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the comforting smile Love gave to him at the beginning of the whole ordeal. Additionally, the captain commander had been very gentle with the subject which eased the tension in the room. The meeting flowed nicely and at a prompt pace, addressing the issues and noting the potential consequences. Simply put, it couldn't have gone better.

So why wasn't he rushing out to meet up with Sakura and celebrate his wonderful news?

Kensei took slow steps towards the open courtyard, not particularly feeling a great hurry now that the worst was over._ Or was it?_

All that thinking he did before the meeting seemed to shine some light on the previously unseen problems.

Feeling the breeze on his face, he looked up and scanned the courtyard for his seat. Catching sight of a figure in one of the larger trees a few meters away, he followed the trunk upwards and laid his eyes on the girl in question.

He approached her location, his mind racing while trying to think up something to say. Oh, there was so much he wanted to say but it was difficult choosing something to open up with.

Reaching the base of the tree, he looked up and noted the serious expression she wore on her delicate features. Something was troubling her and for a fleeting moment, he worried that perhaps her thoughts mirrored his own from earlier.

"Sakura!" He shouted upwards. She seemed to break out of her trance and her attention turned to him. "What are you doing up there? Trying to get yourself killed?" Out of everything that had been running through his mind, that was what he started with. Something light-hearted. _Odd choice._

"You know as well as I do that I can handle a simple tree." Kensei smiled at the response, she seemed so sure of herself. Very characteristically so.

He watched her carefully as she began to climb down. Seeing her foot heading towards a vacant spot where she had mistakenly assumed lay a branch, Kensei held out his arms and prepared himself for the inevitable fall. As expected, she came down and fell squarely in his arms. "I didn't think so." Rash actions like that wouldn't do her any favours but he did enjoy the look of complete surprise on her face as she recomposed herself. "I warned you to be careful but you never listen. You're not much of a seat, are you?"

A brief kiss was the only response he got. "How'd it go?" Her voice was quiet as though she had been expecting the worst.

As he lowered her to the ground, he surprisingly found himself forming a small white lie as his answer. "It was rough, that's for sure. I stated my case, my responsibilities as captain and answered all the questions they posed. I don't know why but they seemed to take my word for it." He compensated with the mistruth with a smile. "Looks like we're okay for now."

He had no idea why he didn't just outright tell her that it went just fine. Seeing her speechless look made him regret his choice and he desperately wished that he had chosen the honest response, the one that would trigger a more positive response. At the moment, hers was far from positive. He…didn't know precisely how to describe it.

"That's great, Kensei." She finally responded but he sensed that something else was on her mind. Something distracting.

"Are you all right? You seem…a little less thrilled than I imagined."

"I'm fine, Kensei. I really am." Her small smile said otherwise. He easily read her expression. After spending so much time with her, he had developed quite the skill. No more holding back. They had to confront their relationship issues, no more 'turning the blind eye'.

The silence between them was slightly uncomfortable. They were both hiding something.

His arms reached out instinctively and drew her into a tight embrace. "We're in this together."

The words had a reassuring tone. They carried strong meaning and were meant to comfort although the captain wasn't entirely sure who they were truly meant for. Sakura?

Or himself?


End file.
